by 3 observations after Sixers’ hot start to victory as masked Embiid returns originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Joel Embiid returned triumphant and masked on Friday evening.
A week after suffering a sinus fracture, Embiid wore a black protective mask and led the Sixers to a 108-98 victory over the Hornets at Wells Fargo Center.
He had 34 points, nine assists, five rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
With Embiid, Tyrese Maxey (23 points) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (22), three Sixers reached the 20-point mark.
The Sixers were without Jared McCain (left lateral meniscus surgery) and Caleb Martin (right shoulder impingement). LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller were among five Charlotte players who were sidelined.
At 9-16, the Sixers now have 44.4 percent of their wins this season against the Hornets, who remained winless in the four-game regular season series. Charlotte fell to 7-21.
The Sixers will visit the Eastern Conference-leading Cavs on Saturday night. Here are observations from their fourth and final win of the season against the Hornets:
Star trio clicks out of the gates
For the first minute or two, it seemed like Embiid would take a while to get used to playing in a mask for the third time in his career. He missed midfielders on the Sixers’ first two plays.
However, Embiid and the Sixers were soon on the rise. After a sharp two-man action with Paul George, he managed a layup and then shot a shot into the post. Embiid pulled down his mask to shoot the free throw and complete the three-point play.
When Charlotte decided to double-team Embiid hard, crisp passes from Embiid and George Oubre set up a corner three.
The Sixers’ stars harmonized very well with both planned and unplanned two-man and three-man actions. Maxey sank a three-pointer off an Embiid feed between the legs to give the Sixers a 23-8 lead. When George was doubled in the post, he made the easy kick-out pass to Maxey on the wing and scored his fourth assist of the first quarter.
Almost nothing went wrong for Maxey and the Sixers in the first half with 41 points. Maxey played the entire first quarter, scoring 15 points and making 4 of 6 three-pointers.
The Sixers cool down, the Hornets stay in
The Sixers used a 10-player rotation and began the second quarter with George alongside four substitutes.
The only substitute sitting at the start of the second round was Ricky Council IV, who had done a strong job in the first round. Council scored seven points on 3-for-3 shooting in the first quarter, including a powerful, crowd-pleasing slam and a corner three.
When the Sixers subbed Andre Drummond for Oubre, Guerschon Yabusele briefly played center in the second quarter. The Sixers put Yabusele ahead on that switch, and he powered through Miles Bridges to hit a three-pointer that gave the Sixers a 20-point lead.
From there, the Sixers offense plummeted back down to earth. George turned the ball over on a head-scratching cross-court pass and was then blocked by Cody Martin. The Sixers scored 17 points in the second quarter and their stars totaled just four, all coming in the final minute.
The dramatic decline in outside shooting efficiency wasn’t surprising, but the Sixers were also much less precise in their passing, spacing and overall offensive structure. They allowed Charlotte to stay in a game that could have potentially become a serious setback by halftime.
Embiid, Sixers finally slam the door
Embiid found his groove as a scorer in the third quarter, knocking down two mid-range jumpers and a three-pointer. In his seventh game of the season, Friday was Embiid’s first outing with multiple three-pointers. He also went 5 for 6 at the foul line in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, George followed up his 33-point win Monday against the Hornets with a tough ball game – five points, 2 for 12 from the field. He recorded ten rebounds, eight assists and three steals.
Although the Sixers led by as many as 23 points in the third quarter, Charlotte once again prevented them from running away from the game. An Oubre runner at the buzzer in the third quarter gave the Sixers an 85-71 lead. He played very well again against his former team. In this week’s two meetings with the Hornets, Oubre shot 15-for-21 from the floor.
Of course, it would have been ideal for the Sixers to get a win early in the fourth quarter and have Embiid end the night on the bench. That’s not close to what transpired.
The lineup of George and the bench was weak at the start of the fourth half. After George missed a contested jumper late in the shot clock, DaQuan Jeffries drilled a three-pointer to cut the Hornets’ deficit to 89-83. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse called a timeout and reinstated Embiid and Oubre.
The building soon came to life. Embiid stripped Bridges inside and then raised his arms in the air as Yabusele charged forward with a quick counter. Apparently he sensed that something big was about to happen. Yabusele threw perhaps the best dunk of the season for the Sixers. The 29-year-old Frenchman delivered a huge slam to Jeffries, who tried in vain to attack him.
Embiid dominated the game on both sides. He scored a lefty layup created by a smooth, convincing pump fake inside and did a tricky, graceful finger roll.
When Embiid, Maxey and George have played a game from start to finish, the Sixers are now 2-0.
