Player grades: Joel Embiid, shorthanded Sixers fall to Timberwolves
PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers had the odds stacked against them on Saturday when they played host to the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was the second night of a back-to-back, they didn’t have James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, or Tobias Harris due to injury, and the Wolves took advantage.
Minnesota overwhelmed the Sixers all night long and they were able to come away with a 112-109 win on the road after staving off a late rally. Considering the Sixers were down three starters plus a key bench piece in Furkan Korkmaz, this was a loss that seemed inevitable.
Joel Embiid led Philadelphia with 32 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, Shake Milton had 27 points and six rebounds, Georges Niang had 15 points off the bench, Danuel House Jr. had 11 points and seven rebounds, and De’Anthony Melton had 19 points, six assists, and five rebounds.
Here are the player grades following this loss:
Shake Milton: A
To begin their games without Maxey, the Sixers turned to Milton in the starting lineup and he made an impact right away with two triples and he was big on the glass. He was a nice consistent source of offense for Philadelphia on a night when they needed somebody to be that second scorer next to Embiid. He shot the ball well and he was a huge part of the rally late.
De'Anthony Melton: A-
Without Maxey and Harden, the Sixers needed somebody to make plays for others and Melton had three assists in the first quarter along with knocking down a triple. Overall, he had a nice night. He drilled some huge triples in the fourth quarter to keep the Sixers in it. He had a chance to give Philadelphia the lead late, but he wasn’t able to finish the fastbreak layup due to some terrific Minnesota defense on that play.
Danuel House Jr.: B
This game started off with House Jr. cutting to the basket and getting an easy 2. For him to be effective on this team without Harden, he has to be able to move off the ball and find easy creases in the defense to make an impact. He made some really big defensive plays to help the Sixers make a game of it late.
PJ Tucker: B-
The start of this game was the embodiment of what Tucker brings to the floor. He was bothering the hell out of Karl-Anthony Towns on the defensive end and he was yapping with other Timberwolves players as he was setting a tone out on the floor. He didn’t start the second half, but he did return to the floor with 3:38 left in the third quarter. Just an overall tough night for the Sixers.
Joel Embiid: A-
The big fella just seems to light up every time he gets to face Rudy Gobert and Towns. There was a possession where Gobert tried to drive against Embiid and it looked like he ran into a brick wall. Embiid then came back the other way and he drew a foul on Gobert while finishing a layup. Overall, on the second night of a back-to-back and with all the injuries the Sixers are dealing with, Minnesota was just too much to overcome. He didn’t shoot the ball well, but he did get to the foul line often and he was efficient in that regard.
Georges Niang: A
This was another game where Niang was able to step in and give the team a boost on the offensive end. Instead of knocking down triples, The Minivan drove to the basket and he was able to finish while being fouled. He then stepped out and he knocked down a 3-pointer. His offense was a big help in this one.
Paul Reed: C-
Again, Reed got into some foul trouble early. There were a few different times when Minnesota would drive to the hoop and they would pick on him in order to get to the free-throw line and give themselves some easy looks. He then saved himself with one of the most Paul Reed plays ever as he had a steal, a dribble move that almost led to a turnover, and it culminated in him finishing a buzzer-beater to end the third quarter.
Montrezl Harrell: C-
The Sixers gave Harrell more of a look in this one with all the injuries. The Sixers like Harrell’s ability to run some offense from the center spot and he played pretty well from that perspective. However, he had his struggles on the defensive end as it seemed like the Timberwolves were just walking into the paint for easy looks.
Matisse Thybulle: Incomplete
It appears that Thybulle is being hampered by the ankle injury. His minutes have been low and he air-balled a triple in the early going where he wasn’t able to set his feet. He just doesn’t look like himself.
