Important factors in Sixers-Hawks Game 7: Embiid’s battery level
Joel Embiid has been a dominant force all postseason, even on a torn meniscus. That said, his offense has wavered slightly over the last week. In Game 4, he shot 0-for-12 in the second half and had no lift off that bad knee. In Game 5, he scored 37 points, but went cold in the fourth quarter. He was again off-kilter in Game 6, scoring 22 points on 24 shots.
There is some level of concern with respect to Embiid’s fatigue level. That was why the Sixers did not want this series to linger. Even if Game 7 goes Philadelphia’s way, it’s fair to wonder whether Embiid can hold up for another seven-game series against an even better team. That knee is clearly problematic, and Embiid is Embiid. He gets tired without torn ligaments.
So, the question is simple: what version of Joel Embiid do the Sixers get in Game 7. I tend to agree with his personal assessment — he can’t get much worse offensively. In front of the home crowd, with his first conference finals berth on the line, Embiid will probably look better than previous games would suggest. That said, if the game is physical as one would expect, and the Hawks make it a tight battle down the stretch, Embiid’s productivity in crunch time is a storyline to watch.
All season, Embiid has been the wind behind Philadelphia’s sails. If he doesn’t have it, then Atlanta will probably win the game. Tobias Harris and Seth Curry can do a lot, and Ben Simmons can’t get much worse, but this is Embiid’s team. They will need him on Sunday.