The Philadelphia 76ers are in danger of learning a brutal Joel Embiid lesson that they managed to avoid for their entire first-round series: When Embiid has to go up against a big-bodied, but most importantly, experienced center, he’s not the same, MVP-caliber player. Karl-Anthony Towns got the best of him in Game 1 against the New York Knicks.
Towns doesn’t exactly have the reputation of being an amazing NBA defender. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. But he’s a big body down low, and he also has plenty of experience playing in the postseason. Those things matter, especially when going up against a center as strong and crafty as Embiid.
In Game 1, Towns gave Embiid a test he hadn’t had to face yet in the playoffs, and the result was a dominant Knicks victory.
Joel Embiid now has to face an experienced center in Karl-Anthony Towns
When Towns guarded Embiid in Game 1, the 76ers star wasn’t able to do nearly as much as he did in the first round. By the end of the night, it felt like Towns had gotten the best of him.
Towns guarded Embiid for 4:37 in Game 1, which was more matchup time than any other player who spent time guarding the Sixers big man (Mitchell Robinson was second with 2:06 of matchup time).
In those minutes that Towns spent guarding Embiid, the 76ers big man shot just 1-of-5 from the field, had one assist, turned the ball over once, and got blocked by Towns once.
Plus, Towns only gave up two free throws during his time on Embiid, committing a single shooting foul. That’s a huge win for the Knicks.
During the Sixers’ first-round series against the Boston Celtics, Embiid didn’t have to go up against much proven competition at the center position. It was one of the main reasons Boston struggled to close out their 3-1 lead once Embiid returned.
Neemias Queta had a phenomenal regular season, but he struggled in the playoffs, as he had little experience. Nikola Vucevic has never been a strong defender, and Luka Garza dealt with a combination of both of those problems.
Again, Towns isn’t a great defender. But he’s big, and he’s experienced. Obviously, those things matter a lot against a superstar of Embiid’s caliber.
New York won Game 1 largely due to their dominance from behind the three-point line. But Towns being able to contain Embiid certainly helped.
And based on the way Game 1 went, the 76ers could be in for a brutal Embiid lesson if things continue to go as they did.
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