Player grades: Joel Embiid explodes to carry Sixers past Jazz at home
PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers were looking to begin a winning streak after picking up a win at home on Saturday. They hosted the No. 1 team in the West in the Utah Jazz so this contest offered something of a test for Philadelphia even if the Jazz are playing over their heads a bit.
Utah built a 14-point lead in the first half as they were using their size and 3-point shooting in order to build up an advantage, but the Sixers used a steady dose of Joel Embiid to come away with a 105-98 victory at home. The big fella led the way with a career-high 59 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists along with tying a career-high in seven blocks in this one.
Tyrese Maxey added 18 points, Tobias Harris had eight, and De’Anthony Melton had six and five rebounds in his return off the bench. Matisse Thybulle had five steals.
Here are the player grades following the win:
Tyrese Maxey: B-
After breaking out of his slump on Saturday, Maxey was able to keep it going to start this one with a corner triple and a few aggressive drives to the basket for finishes. Philadelphia needed his offensive scoring in this one with the Jazz being one of the more efficient offensive teams in the league. His foul trouble was tough for him and the team as they could’ve used his offense more. It seemed the foul trouble limited him and threw him off his rhythm on the offensive end, but Embiid carried that load on Sunday.
Matisse Thybulle: A
In the first seven minutes of this one, Thybulle picked up two steals as he was constantly bothering the Jazz ball handlers and flying around on the defensive end of the floor. He made a few really nice defensive plays in this one in order to help the Sixers get back in it when they trailed by double-digits. His defensive work in this one was stellar.
Tobias Harris: D+
Harris had a strong move to start his night as he drove and finished at the basket, but after that, it was a bit of a struggle on the offensive end for him. He didn’t get much opportunity in the first half because Embiid was having so much success and he didn’t help much on the glass because of Utah’s size. He had his most offensive success by getting out and running to begin the third quarter. He missed quite a few layups which hurt their offensive flow at times.
PJ Tucker: C
This was another night where Tucker was doing what he normally does with his energy, hustle, and effort, but the Jazz are just a tall team. This was one of those games where he just couldn’t match up and be effective with his lack of size. He only grabbed one rebound and he didn’t take a shot on the night. In his defense, he didn’t get the ball much to take a shot. He made a few nice plays late on defense against Jazz wing player Lauri Markkanen.
Joel Embiid: A+
The big fella got off to a good start on the offensive end again as he did a very good job of attacking the Jazz on that end. He knew Jarred Vanderbilt and Kelly Olynyk didn’t have much of a chance against him so he used his size and strength to set the tone on offense. He also went to work against Jazz rookie Walker Kessler. Utah had no real answer for him. He dragged this team to this win with every ounce of energy he had to lead the Sixers. It is a little ridiculous how bad Philadelphia looked without him on the floor. Obviously, every team struggles with their best player off the floor, but it has been pretty bad over the last couple of games.
De'Anthony Melton: B+
After missing a game with back stiffness, Melton was able to make a quick impact. His movement off the ball was a big factor in this one and he was helpful on the glass. He also had another nice night on the defensive end.
Georges Niang: B
The initial run for The Minivan was solid as he moved his feet well on the defensive end and he had a nice post move leading to a bucket on the offensive end of the floor. He knocked down a triple in the third quarter with the Jazz focused so much on Embiid.
Shake Milton: C+
It was a tough start for Milton after the strong night on Saturday, but he was helpful as a ball-handler and he was solid on the defensive end. He was better in the second half of this one with his work out on the floor.
Danuel House Jr.: C-
The initial run for House Jr. didn’t produce much as he couldn’t find any open looks on the offensive end. He was solid defensively all night long, but he missed an open corner triple when the Sixers were looking to build a lead.
Paul Reed: F
It appears that Reed is going through his own little tough stretch. After struggling mightily in the two games with the Hawks, he had a tough start to this one as his first shot attempt was rejected by Kessler and he later airballed a baseline jumper leading to a Malik Beasley triple. That led to a quick hook from coach Doc Rivers. He was a minus-7 in 4:45 of playing time.
Montrezl Harrell: B-
After Reed was ineffective, Harrell received the call and he played all of 1:08 before Embiid retuned. Harrell grabbed a rebound over Kessler with his energy and hustle. He was the backup in the second half and he provided two big hustle buckets and he provided a spark with his infectious energy.
