Joel Embiid’s Game-Winner Lifts Sixers Over Blazers
NBA Analytics NetworkThe Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 120–119 on Friday night’s NBA sl…
The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 120–119 on Friday night’s NBA slate thanks to a fadeaway jumper from Joel Embiid.
In the winning game, Embiid battled a double team of Jusuf Nurkic and Damian Lillard, scoring 39 points. Embiid basked in the glow of the sold-out crowd’s chants of “MVP!” while making the basket, giving Philadelphia its first lead of the game. They trailed by 21 points late in the first half.
“As I was dribbling I knew I had to step back,” said Embiid. “But I knew I had to get to my place, and that’s in that area. That’s a perfect place from my previous years. At the top of the key, the field is wide open because guys don’t want to give up threes.
After a timeout, Portland’s effort was tipped to the last second and Lillard’s shot came after the horn sounded. A comeback from 20 points behind marked the third time this season the 76ers (44–22) succeeded.
“Under 20 guys could have said the game is over and we moved on to the next one,” said Embiid. “But these guys keep fighting. But we have to stop putting ourselves in this position.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers & Portland Trail Blazers Updates
The Philadelphia 76ers got 19 points from James Harden despite some shooting problems. For the fourth consecutive game, the 76ers won by 13 points each over Tyrese Maxey and DeAnthony Melton.
“It wasn’t the prettiest win, but we’ll take it,” said Harden.
Portland was led by Anfernee Simons’ 34 points on 8-of-12 shooting from 3-point range. In total, 24 points were scored by Jeremi Grant and 22 points by Lillard.
“We played a tough game and we played physically,” said Lillard. “Defensively, we got stops. When you play against a good team, it comes down to those possessions on both ends of the floor. And I thought we battled. We had a lot of good possessions.”
After missing seven of Portland’s last eight games due to a sprained right ankle, Simons was a playing time decision. During Portland’s first half run, he hit 5 of 6 threes as the team hit 26 of 38 shots from the field.
“For the most part, we played a great game,” said Simons. “They had a small run, but we played hard and we did everything we could to win the game.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers & Portland Trail Blazers Updates
Philadelphia switched defensive tactics in the second half after giving up 71 points in the first half, with Embiid wandering to the perimeter and Tucker anchoring at center. After shooting 11 of 19 in the first half, Portland shot 4 of 17 after the break.
“The catch was effective and Lillard was jammed everywhere,” said 76ers coach Doc Rivers. “You can’t trap Lillard and Simons when they’re both on the floor, but you can trap Simons when Lillard was gone. I found that very effective.”
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