Player grades: Joel Embiid has another big night, Sixers beat Hornets
PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers are still in the process of getting themselves right as they continue to make strides toward contention in the Eastern Conference. This current homestand they’re on offers them that opportunity as they took on the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.
After an overtime affair to begin the homestand, they took on a very young and athletic Hornets team, and after a struggle to start the game, they were able to come away with a 131-113 win to start 2-0 on the homestand. Joel Embiid had himself another incredible night as he finished with 53 points on 20-for-32 shooting and 12 rebounds to lead the way for Philadelphia.
James Harden had 19 points, 16 assists, and eight rebounds, De’Anthony Melton had 12 points, and Tobias Harris added 17. Shake Milton added 11 and Montrezl Harrell had nine points and four assists off the bench.
Here are the player grades following the win:
James Harden: A
The Beard delivered a highlight play early when he hit Mason Plumlee with a crossover and drilled a step back triple. He and Embiid were the only sources of offense to start this one as others had a hard time getting into a rhythm. He was attacking the glass and he was driving straight at the younger Hornets as they had a tough time really stopping him. He had a terrific night both on the glass and as a distributor to ensure Philadelphia walked away with this win.
De'Anthony Melton: A
It wasn’t a repeat performance of the Lakers game for Melton, but they didn’t need it from him in this one. The defensive pest was just that in this one: a pest. He was bothering Charlotte on the defensive end in this one and he really made an impact defensively. He then drilled four triples in the third quarter, mostly due to Harden’s playmaking, to help the Sixers gain separation.
Tobias Harris: B
After he got off to a slow start on the offensive end, Harris came out and that seemed to rest some things for him. He got into the paint which led to an Embiid triple and he then ran the floor to get an easy dunk off an Embiid feed. Overall, he did what he was supposed to do as he contributed to this win on both ends of the floor.
PJ Tucker: B-
One of the funniest moments of this game was when Tucker drew a foul on a 3-point attempt. Considering he had attempted only six free throws all season, it was just a funny sight to see him pump fake and get to the line. Other than that, he was making life tough for the younger Hornets and he made a few heady, veteran plays.
Joel Embiid: A+
The Sixers had a tough time scoring to start the game, but they were able to dump the ball to the big fella and rely on him to lead the way on the offensive end. The Hornets truly have no answers for Embiid as Plumlee and Nick Richards tried their darndest to stop him, but they just don’t have the size to do so. He had 28 points at the half and was really just toying with every defender Charlotte tried to throw at him. The things Embiid can do on the basketball court just continue to be marvelous and he deserves a lot of credit for what he’s been able to do.
Shake Milton: A
The Sixers got a big lift offensively from Milton. He was moving well off the ball which led to some easy baskets at the rim. That then seemed to get him going on the offensive end and the Sixers calmed down. His offensive efforts were helpful all night long and the Sixers really needed it from him. This can be a game that can continue to build off of.
Montrezl Harrell: A
The Sixers turned to Harrell to back up Embiid in this one and the veteran responded with a very nice initial stint. He played very well on the offensive end as he was rolling well and finishing at the basket. He had seven points in his initial run to give Philadelphia a boost. A few issues defensively throughout the night, but overall, he was very good in this one.
Georges Niang: C
In his return from a foot injury, The Minivan had a bad turnover to start his night. Overall, outside of Milton and Harrell, the bench unit had a tough initial stint. Niang was able to drill a 3 in the fourth quarter to help Philadelphia keep the Hornets at bay.
Furkan Korkmaz: C-
It was a bad start for Korkmaz as he threw a pass directly to the Hornets which led to an easy dunk for them on the other end. He also wasn’t defending well enough to warrant more time on the floor.
Matisse Thybulle: D
It was a nondescript night for Thybulle. He had a turnover underneath the basket and he didn’t have his usual impact on the defensive end. He did grab two rebounds, though so he gets points for that.
