2024-04-13 11:14:35
Joel Embiid played 29 minutes in his first game back after injury and used an excellent performance to help the team defeat the Thunder, a powerful Western Conference rival, by 4 points.
In the game against the Thunder, with just over 7 minutes left before the end, Embiid experienced a subtle but crucial state of chaos on the court. After receiving a pass from Tobias Harris near the free throw line, Embiid turned his body slightly and held the ball in his hands. He seemed to want to reproduce the dribbling and hand-off pass that he and Tyrese Maxey had in the early season, but at that time, Embiid was on the court. There was no Maxey on the team because he was unable to play due to injury.
At that moment, in addition to Tobias Harris, Embiid’s teammates on the court were Kelly Oubre Jr. and Nic Batum, who had played together in 27 games and 24 games, as well as Kyle Lowry, who was working together for the first time. Unable to execute a handoff, Embiid passed the ball to Harris under the basket, but Harris’ layup was directly blocked by the defender in the penalty area.
This wave of offense made everyone realize that the Sixers players have to step up their pace to get used to it. The Sixers have been waiting for Embiid’s return for the past two months. Even if the most important piece of the puzzle to win the championship comes back from injury, the Sixers still don’t have the looks to win the championship. The Sixers are a hodgepodge of players in different stages. Before the playoffs, the players only have a few regular games left to develop a new look.
However, many fans believe that the 76ers will have a successful run-in. Kyle Lowry, who has been paired with several centers who are good at mid-range in his career, can already initiate pick-and-rolls with Embiid and attract double-teams to find out immediately. The gap used a floor pass to send the ball to Embiid for a dunk.
Buddy Hield, who joined the team through a trade in February, also tried to initiate hand-off passing tactics with Embiid on the court. However, it is still inevitable to see situations where the Sixers do not have enough understanding with each other or miss the opportunity to start. The entire team is still trying to figure out what resources it has. This situation is fatal for most teams, but not for the Sixers because their ace is Embiid.
When Embiid played with more than 7 minutes left in the game, his playing time exceeded the original limit given to him. After Harris was blocked under the basket, Embiid took a break and returned to the court with 4 minutes and 15 seconds before the end.
By that time, he should have been exhausted and was still recovering from a knee injury. Embiid later said that this knee injury may be the most serious in his career so far. After returning to the court more than 4 minutes before the end, Embiid scored 8 points, beating the Thunder’s 5 points, leading the 76ers to an incredible 4-point victory. In this game, the Sixers trailed by as much as 13 points.
In the game, he did not miss any free throws and made all 12 free throws. Despite recovering from a knee injury, there was no hesitation or pause in his movements. Perhaps being away from the court for a while has made his mid-range jumper a little rusty, but when he needs to grasp it, it does not affect his shooting percentage.
If you take into account the physical condition of the first game after returning from injury, the most shocking goal in the game was Embiid’s layup after an interception about 30 seconds before the end. At that time, the Sixers only led by one point, and the ball was in the hands of the Thunder. Giddey dribbled the ball, but Embiid successfully stole it away and dribbled to the frontcourt alone. The Thunder could only use a foul to prevent his layup.
Joel Embiid with the CLUTCH steal in his first game back.
The Sixers (-154 ML) hold on for the win 💪
📽️: @NBA | #BrotherlyLove pic.twitter.com/nImqgVrGHM
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) April 3, 2024
In the last 4 minutes before the end, even if Embiid’s condition has been compromised again and again, he can still reverse the key game for the team. Even if the current health condition of the Sixers’ players is almost the worst in the league, annual MVP-level players can still turn the tide for the team. “Incomplete” is the best way to describe the Eastern Conference’s playoff teams right now, with the only exception being the Celtics.
As of the deadline, the Sixers have only four regular season games left to play. In addition to the Magic, which is a playoff team, the other three opponents are the Spurs, Firebolts, and Nets, which have poor records this season. The 76ers, ranked eighth in the Eastern Conference, were only half a game and one game behind the seventh-place Heat and sixth-place Pacers as of press time.
The worst case scenario for the Sixers this season is to end the regular season in eighth place. Even so, as long as they win the first game in the play-offs, they can be ranked seventh seed and avoid meeting the Celtics in the first round. Even if Embiid does not return with full blood, except for the Celtics, there should be no team in the Eastern Conference that can scare the Sixers.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Although the Bucks are ranked the second seed in the Eastern Conference, since Doc Rivers coached, the Bucks have a record of 15 wins and 16 losses (at the time of writing), and recently lost six games in a row. The Cavaliers, who are third in the Eastern Conference, also have problems with injuries, and the Knicks, who are fifth, are not sure whether they can expect OG Anunoby to return in the playoffs.
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