Player grades: Joel Embiid, Sixers get past Knicks on Christmas Day
NEW YORK–The Philadelphia 76ers invaded Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day looking to drop off a lump of coal to the rival New York Knicks and pick up an 8th straight win. Following a 7-0 homestand, the Sixers were hoping to continue to build the momentum they’ve had recently.
The Knicks are a physical bunch who have also been playing some great basketball as of late. New York entered the day winners of eight of its last 10 games and they used a heavy dose of physicality to throw Philadelphia off, but the Sixers were able to keep scrapping and they came away with a 119-112 win. Joel Embiid had 35 points and eight rebounds to lead the Sixers to their 8th straight win. The Sixers did not lead until early in the fourth quarter
James Harden had 29 points and 13 assists and De’Anthony Melton had 15 points. Shake Milton had eight, Georges Niang added 16 off the bench, Tobias Harris had eight and six rebounds, and PJ Tucker had six points.
Here are the player grades following the win on the road:
James Harden: A
It was an aggressive start for Harden in terms of his scoring, but he had a few bad defensive possessions against the aggressive New York guards. He wasn’t knocking down a ton of shots early, but he was getting to the free-throw line to get his points. When one looks at his points and the low number of field goals he took to get there, it was an overall efficient day, and he then got hot late in the third quarter. He also was getting his teammates involved as he evolves into a pass-first guard.
De'Anthony Melton: A
The two-way stud knocked down two big triples in the early going when Philadelphia was struggling on the offensive end. If it wasn’t for his shooting, who knows where the Sixers would have been in the early going when the Knicks were playing well. Overall, he made all four of his triples in the first half to keep the Sixers in it.
Tobias Harris: C
The reliable veteran wasn’t able to find a groove from 3-point land, but when he was able to get a head of steam going downhill, he was tough to stop. He was able to make things happen at the basket as he used his body to get some easy looks. He also was helpful on the glass against a physical Knicks team.
PJ Tucker: B-
The veteran wasn’t able to make much of an impact early as he picked up two quick fouls, but after returning from the bench, Tucker was able to knock down a corner triple and be helpful on the offensive end. He then converted an And-1 opportunity in the third quarter so his contributions were needed in this one.
Joel Embiid: A
The big fella was settling a little bit early. Instead of attacking Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle, Embiid was settling for jumpers. He also looked a little lethargic to start the game as maybe the noon tipoff time threw him out of whack a little. After a stint on the bench, Embiid was living in the paint and he was getting the benefit of the whistle with his aggressive play. He was living at the line, but he also wasn’t very efficient there in the first half. In the second half, the star big man finally woke up. He was knocking down some tough jumpers, he was finishing at the basket, and he was an engine after halftime.
Shake Milton: A-
Needing a spark, the Sixers turned to Milton to try and give something on the offensive end. He was aggressive in getting into the paint, but he had a tough time finishing and he was not that helpful on the defensive end either. What he did do was knock down two big 3-pointers late in the first half including a prayer off a New York turnover that he hurled from half-court at the halftime buzzer. Either way, his overall game is what the Sixers want from Milton off the bench. Just for him to provide some offense and give the starters some help.
Georges Niang: B-
With the Sixers needing somebody to get going on offense, The Minivan was called upon and he had a nice move to the basket for 2. He missed his triples in his initial stint and he wasn’t able to get a groove early on. He also picked up a couple of fouls on the defensive end and he had a few turnovers. He was better in the second half, which has been a theme with him recently, and his 3-point shooting was paramount in this one.
Montrezl Harrell: C-
Going back to Harrell to back up Embiid, the minutes were not bad on the defensive end. However, he wasn’t able to impact the game like he normally does with his energy and hustle on the glass. He also wasn’t able to carve out any space underneath the rim and finish.
Danuel House Jr.: D+
It was a non-descript initial stint for House Jr. as he did not take a shot and he picked up a foul in the early going. He wasn’t much better in the second half and he also missed an open triple. He does receive points for his hustle on the defensive end.
Matisse Thybulle: Incomplete
The overall run for Thybulle was quick as he played only four minutes. It has been strange to see his minutes be a bit up and down recently after he seemed to be a fixture in the rotation for a stretch there.
