The Philadelphia 76ers had themselves another rough night on Monday as they were once again shorthanded due to the league’s health and safety protocols along with a variety of other injuries. They did get Joel Embiid back in the lineup, but his efforts weren’t enough in a 112-94 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Embiid had 24 points and 11 rebounds, but he scored all 24 points in the first half as he only played a grand total of 3:46 in the second half as coach Doc Rivers saw the game slipping away. With the team scheduled to come back to Philadelphia to face the Miami Heat on Tuesday, Rivers pulled him.
“I told Joel at halftime, that I was going to have a quick hook,” said Rivers. “We weren’t gonna wait long. We got Tyrese (Maxey) out, we got Danny (Green) out, this is honestly more of a game about getting our guys some run at the end of the day. We stood out the game hoping we could steal one, but once you saw that wasn’t gonna happen, it was more about me getting guys a couple of reps up and down the floor.”
With the decision to rest Embiid, the Sixers had turned their focus to the Heat on Tuesday and they also had to get other guys some reps. Notably, Mike Scott who also returned to the lineup and played his first game since New Year’s Eve.
“Mike Scott, getting some run, and then trying to get our guys out to be ready for tomorrow,” Rivers added with a laugh. “Isaiah Joe was a key because he had five fouls, and we just begged him no matter what you cannot commit that sixth foul. We didn’t have anybody else to play.”
The shorthanded Sixers will now board the plane and return home to face the Heat where they hope to get Ben Simmons back in the fold.
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