The Philadelphia 76ers are back from their brief vacation that the NBA All-Star weekend brings about each year. Philly returned to continue their season at home in the Wells Fargo Center against the Memphis Grizzlies. The matchup was a real test for the playoffs coming up with the intensity shown in the game and the environment from the fans. Joel Embiid and company pulled out a 110-105 win over Memphis. There was plenty to take note of in this one but I decided to list three key takeaways from the Sixers’ win over the Grizzlies.
What did we learn from the 76ers’ win over Memphis?
The first key takeaway is that the Sixers picked up the slack on offense that Joel Embiid surprisingly left behind in this game. Immediately from tip-off, Embiid didn’t look right offensively, mainly his ability to make shots He wasn’t getting any real lift on his jumper so a lot of jump shots against Memphis were shot or off-target. The team needed to respond to this huge red alert and pick their generational superstar player.
Embiid posted 27 points, 19 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 blocks on 7 of 25 shooting from the field, 13 of 17 from the free throw line, and 0 of 5 from the three-point line in 38 minutes of play. James Harden and Tobias Harris were the two catalysts for the team in their comeback win. Harden scored 37 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal on 10 of 16 shooting from the floor, 5 of 7 from three-point land, and 6 of 9 from the charity stripe in 39 minutes. Harris scored 20 points on 5 of 10 shooting from the field, 4 of 7 from three, and 6 of 6 from the free throw line.
Doc Rivers’ veteran squad was trailing for almost the entire game. What really mattered from Harden and Harris was their 4th quarter-offensive contributions. The duo combined for 23 of the team’s 35 fourth-quarter points. Also, “The Beard” dished out five assists, grabbed three rebounds, and posted two blocks. Two of the most important plays in the quarter were two different threes made by Harden and Harris.