Can Joel Embiid Still Save the Sixers’ Season?

For those who’re the Philadelphia 76ers, Monday night time’s Sport 2 collapse yielded devastating information, but additionally one fairly good purpose to really feel cautiously optimistic about the remainder of the first-round sequence towards the New York Knicks. Let’s begin with the unhealthy first.

Up 5 with 27 seconds to go, Philly gave up a nook 3 to Jalen Brunson after which, as an alternative of calling timeout to advance the ball, turned it over in chaotic trend as Madison Sq. Backyard bodily shook.

“The very first thing is clearly they rating, we check out getting it in fast,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse mentioned after the sport. “We don’t get it in fast. I name timeout. Referee regarded proper at me. Ignored me.” Earlier than talking with the media, Nurse watched a replay of the possession and reiterated that an official “might see me clearly calling timeout twice.”

Alas, no timeout was granted. 5 seconds later, the sky fell. Donte DiVincenzo missed a wide-open 3. Isaiah Hartenstein flew in for the offensive rebound after which shoveled it over to OG Anunoby, who discovered DiVincenzo once more, this time for a go-ahead, ultimately game-winning jumper that triggered pandemonium among the many delirious crowd, which all of the sudden discovered itself residing via a basketball fantasy.

It was the kind of ending—outlined by avoidable errors and gut-turning controversy—that may successfully finish a workforce’s season. Perhaps it’s going to. The Sixers at the moment are down 0-2 towards a tough-as-nails 2-seed that has but to profit from Brunson trying just like the MVP candidate he’s been all 12 months.

Philadelphia isn’t a typical no. 7 seed, although, which brings us to that fairly good purpose for it to really feel cautiously optimistic about the remainder of this sequence. His title is Joel Embiid. And in Sport 2, regardless of not trying or shifting like he does when 100% wholesome, Embiid was nonetheless the life jacket Philly will want if it needs to tug via this sequence.

Embiid can’t routinely bully Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson on the block, demand double-teams, then choose rotating defenses aside like he does when he has full belief in each knees. After lacking almost the ultimate two months of the common season, his burst and stamina nonetheless aren’t near the place they’re at his peak. However the model of Embiid that was on show in Sport 2 was nonetheless just about a best-case state of affairs. Two days after he crashed to Madison Sq. Backyard’s flooring with troubled eyes that communicated basketball tragedy, Embiid did this:

He completed with 34 factors, 10 rebounds, six assists, and a monstrous 40.4 % utilization price that included solely two turnovers. “I believed he was glorious,” Nurse mentioned concerning the 2022-23 MVP after the sport. “Actually, actually excellent.”

Watching Embiid on Monday night time, I used to be reminded of one thing Minnesota Timberwolves colour commentator Jim Petersen mentioned on air throughout a random regular-season recreation earlier this 12 months. To paraphrase: Embiid can rating 30 with out actually making an attempt. On this context, what it means is that even with none athleticism or drive, this 7-footer nonetheless has sufficient talent and flexibility to fully dominate a recreation. It’s a praise to his expertise and agility, the way in which he units a display after which moseys all the way down to the nail, retrieves a pocket go, and calmly drills an unblockable jumper. He shot 7-for-10 from the midrange in Sport 2 and mixed with Tyrese Maxey (who had a game-high 35 factors and 10 assists) to execute a pick-and-roll that New York had no reply for. The Knicks tried nearly all the things, together with aggressive, preemptive assist from the weak aspect that led to a unique type of ache:

In 39 minutes, Embiid wasn’t significantly environment friendly—a 49.6 true capturing share isn’t any bueno—however he was unstoppable for important stretches. Philadelphia outscored New York by three factors with him on the courtroom. Within the sequence, the Sixers’ offensive ranking when Embiid sits is (someway) 61.5.

On protection, he was a steely bouncer, clipboard in hand. Solely 25 % of all of the Knicks’ photographs got here on the rim, and simply 52.6 % went in. That’s all Embiid, who spent the whole recreation both lounging in a deep drop or anchoring Philadelphia’s zone.

That protection is usually a double-edged sword, after all. And when Embiid is cellular sufficient to hassle shooters on the perimeter and dance in several schemes, Philadelphia’s protection is clearly much less weak towards actual pull-up threats:

However a lot of the Knicks’ jumpers have been contained in the arc, appears the Sixers are OK with, figuring out Nicolas Batum or Kelly Oubre Jr. is speeding in with a rear contest. Total, Embiid’s presence was a transparent optimistic on that finish, instrumental to Philadelphia’s success.

The Sixers did greater than have Embiid set screens and roll towards the free throw line, too. They discovered some success having Kyle Lowry set a flex display for him out within the nook, an motion that ultimately arrange this gem:

“He did an important job tonight of simply being aggressive, being bodily on the market, being dominant like he’s,” Tobias Harris mentioned of Embiid. “We sit up for that for the following recreation.”

It’s removed from controversial to imagine that Philadelphia can come again and win this sequence if Embiid is who he was in Sport 2. That participant saved possessions that have been going nowhere, delivering again and again because the hub of an offense that left some meat on the bone. Typically talking, 0-2 deficits are daunting however hardly insurmountable in in the present day’s league for quite a lot of causes, together with 3-point variance and the narrowing expertise hole between increased and decrease seeds. Groups down 0-2 have come again six instances previously three postseasons. If the Sixers are eradicated in 4 or 5 video games, it’d be a tremendously disappointing finish for a workforce that employs probably the greatest gamers alive, in the midst of his prime. Given the circumstances, it additionally shouldn’t essentially be time to panic.

“We must be 2 and 0,” Embiid mentioned at his locker. “So, we’re good. We’re gonna win this sequence. We’re gonna win this. We all know what we’ve obtained to repair. We did a greater job in the present day. So, we’re gonna repair it. However we’re the higher workforce. And we’re gonna hold preventing.”

Philadelphia has only some gamers underneath contract for subsequent season and sufficient monetary flexibility to retool round Embiid and Maxey with (hopefully) a superior supporting solid. That’s one other story for an additional day, although. Within the right here and now, regardless of Sport 2’s disappointing loss, the Sixers are nonetheless a menace as a result of their greatest participant nonetheless appears like somebody who can put a workforce on his again and carry it to the end line.