Philadelphia 76ers Knock Off Minnesota Timberwolves Behind Joel Embiid’s Near Triple-Double
If you checked the box score of Friday night’s matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Minnesota Timberwolves, you might think it was a standard, business-as-usual 115-103 victory for the home team. But if you actually watched the game? You know it was anything but normal.
It was a gritty, weird, beautiful mess of a basketball game that featured a visibly ill superstar, a resurgent veteran wing, and a desperate push to avoid the dreaded NBA Play-In Tournament. When the dust finally settled inside Xfinity Mobile Arena, the 76ers walked away with a crucial win, keeping their hold on the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. How did they get the job done?
Joel Embiid Battles the Flu (and the Rim)
We’ve all had those mornings where we drag ourselves out of bed, completely under the weather, just to stare blankly at our computer screens. Now, imagine doing that, but instead of answering emails, your boss asks you to go physically battle Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle.
That was Joel Embiid on Friday night. After missing Wednesday’s game with an illness, the big man suited up, and early on, it was painfully obvious he was running on empty. Embiid looked completely out of sorts, shooting a miserable 1-for-10 in the first half. He was a step slow on offense, heavily settling for contested jumpers that hit every part of the rim except the bottom of the net.
But here is where the human element of sports kicks in: Embiid refused to quit. Even when his jump shot abandoned him, he was throwing his massive frame around in the paint. He pulled down 13 rebounds and swatted away shots to keep the Timberwolves from running away with the game early. By the time the third quarter rolled around, he found his playmaking rhythm, dishing out slick between-the-legs passes and eventually finishing with 19 points and 7 assists.
Paul George Reminds Everyone Who He Is
Remember a few weeks ago when the panic alarms were sounding about Paul George’s contract? You can go ahead and hit the snooze button on that narrative.
George looked absolutely electric against Minnesota, leading the team with 23 points. Whatever happened during his recent time away from the court, it worked. George was getting downhill with a level of explosive aggression we frankly haven’t seen from him all season.
Instead of settling for heavily contested pull-up jumpers, he was blowing past defenders, forcing the issue, and getting to the charity stripe. He took a season-high 10 free throws, knocking down eight of them. When the 76ers’ offense looked like it was stuck in quicksand during the first half, George was the sole engine keeping the car running.
The Supporting Cast Flips the Switch
You can’t win against a top-tier Western Conference team without your role players showing up, and Philadelphia’s supporting cast delivered the knockout blows.
Tyrese Maxey had a brutal time getting loose in the first half against a swarming Minnesota perimeter defense. But Maxey is simply too fast to keep bottled up for 48 minutes. He exploded in the third quarter, finishing with 21 points. More importantly, simply by stepping on the court for his 15th minute, Maxey officially crossed the 65-game threshold. He is now eligible for postseason awards.
Then there was Kelly Oubre Jr. Oubre had a quiet start, but he proved why 76ers Head Coach Nick Nurse trusts him in closing lineups. With the Timberwolves trying to mount a frantic late-game comeback, Oubre calmly stepped up and drilled two massive three-pointers to put the game on ice. He matched Maxey with 21 points of his own.
And we can’t ignore the wild card of the night: Nurse deciding to throw Andre Drummond out there alongside Embiid late in the third quarter. The “Twin Towers” lineup is a bold strategy in the modern NBA, but it completely overwhelmed Minnesota on the glass and sparked the run that ultimately blew the game wide open.
What This Win Means For the 76ers
At this stage of the season, there are no style points. A win is a win, and for the 76ers, staying out of the Play-In Tournament is the only thing that matters.
They dug deep, absorbed a few heavy punches from Anthony Edwards and the Wolves, and completely dominated the second half. It showed a level of maturity and defensive connectivity that should make the rest of the East very nervous. If they can win games where their franchise player is sick and shooting 10% in the first half, just imagine what they can do when everything is clicking.
