The Philadelphia 76ers needed an even bigger performance from their All-Star big man on Thursday night as they were already down one All-Star in Ben Simmons. It was up to Joel Embiid to lead the way and lead the way, he did.
Embiid had 39 points and 16 rebounds as he led a huge rally for the Sixers down by 20 to come back and beat the Brooklyn Nets 112-104 in overtime at the Wells Fargo Center to improve to 26-2 at home. It was a performance that really showed that he’s taking the next step forward and he caught the attention of his team.
Tobias Harris, who had a solid game of 22 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, says this is an expectation of him.
“I expect greatness from him,” he said. “I think we all do as a team. He just took over in the game, he got to the free-throw line, he made his free throws, and he just took over for us. He was huge.”
Embiid bullied the Nets down low as he shot 10-for-20 from the floor and he also paraded to the line 19 times, making 18 of them. He also had two blocks and he rendered Nets starting big man Jarrett Allen useless as he was held scoreless.
“He was all over the place,” said coach Brett Brown. “Just defensively and offensively, he would say, ‘Give me the ball.’ I thought the thing that might not go as noticed, as I see it, was his screen setting. He did a really good job of getting low, getting his shoulders lower than the defenders and forcing over…But Joel Embiid was our bell-ringer tonight for obvious reasons. He was dominant.”
Alec Burks had 19 big points off the bench and also had four rebounds. He was happy to have a big man like Embiid out there to set picks for him and be able to free him up. It allowed him to play his game and be who he is.
“Y’all saw what he did tonight,” he explained. “I don’t know how tall, how big he is, but he’s a statue out there. He’s setting great picks, not only for me, but everyone else.”
The biggest battle Embiid faces every night is himself. If he can continue to keep this mindset on a nightly basis and continue to have fun, then that makes himself, and the Sixers as a team, that much better. It’s almost like he unlocks another level for the team moving forward.
The team expects greatness, he expects greatness, and now it’s about achieving greatness. [lawrence-related id=26153,26138,26131]