Thunder vs 76ers recap: Joel Embiid leads Philadelphia past shorthanded OKC in return
PHILADELPHIA — Isaiah Joe stood in the exact spot. He grinded at his mouthpiece, upright in stance, flicking his wrist where he’d missed his chance moments earlier.
A chance at being the hero. He had two.
One from the right wing, a chance to tie the game, a clean swing into a shot he’s earned his reputation with. He airballed. The other from the spot he stood in when he wished for it all back. His moment was interrupted by one last free throw, the only thing standing between his form and the Sixers’ 109-105 win.
Joe couldn’t be the Thunder’s savior. Neither could Jaylin Williams, who shot the final look. Or anyone for that matter. Oklahoma City struggled to close Tuesday night’s game, which it led by eight with just over five minutes left. Its bat signal, down its best two closers — perhaps its only couple of closers — in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, went unattended.
Its final three looks were three of the cleanest it saw throughout Tuesday’s fourth quarter. It quickly swallowed its fortune, wound up in how it ever had the chance.
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“That possession you can't do anything about,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “We executed about as well as we could. The execution coming down the stretch on both ends could have been better. But again, you really can't fault the effort and the togetherness. I thought we put ourselves in an unbelievable position to win the game, just didn't execute quite well enough to close it.”
Before its final five minutes, the Thunder seemed equipped to spoil Joel Embiid’s comeback. The All-NBA center, who stunningly returned to Philadelphia’s lineup Tuesday, hadn’t played since Jan. 30 at the Chase Center.
As he shook rust off, the Thunder experimented and sought new looks, enough of which worked well enough to lead.
Rookie Cason Wallace played on the ball as much as he has all season, working his handle and getting to jumpers. Chet Holmgren curled off handoffs and moved like a wing away from the ball. Jaylin Williams was as useful a tool as any, unleashed as a fully-operational playmaking hub with irritating handoffs and bulky screens.
Williams had a career high nine assists by halftime. He finished the game with 12 assists, with the Sixers adjusting to the Thunder’s actions and getting aggressive with the 6-foot-9 big man.
The cast enjoyed a sufficient cameo. OKC’s role players starred in their roles for most of the game. They maintained a rusty Embiid about as well as they could. Only its final five minutes unraveled what Tuesday night was.
Through a half, the Thunder had just two turnovers. After a looser third quarter, the Thunder still only had seven on the night. Then it finished with seven in the fourth alone.
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With 3:48 to play, Holmgren’s hands lost the first pivotal ball, a transition trip for Philly forward Kelly Oubre. Daigneault called a timeout. Narrow win aside, Holmgren wasn’t exactly thrilled with his performance or the sequence leading up to Gilgeous-Alexander’s game winner in New York on Sunday. The forfeited rebounds, blending in with the crowd.
On Tuesday, he’d mostly dished back what he’d been given. With and-1s and spin finishes, with 3-pointers and blocks. With the game (and ball) slipping from OKC’s hands, Holmgren gripped his jersey by the collar and contemplated tearing a slit down the middle.
“Frustration with myself, just because I gotta be better,” Holmgren said, finishing with 22 points and seven rebounds. “I owe it to, not only myself, but my teammates and my coaches to be out there. … I gotta come through in those moments. I didn’t tonight.”
The next possession was whistled a charge after Lu Dort charged down the lane. Less than a minute later, Dort lost the ball out of bounds. Meanwhile, Embiid and the free-throw line never lost love. He forced his way there down the stretch to drive the Thunder away.
Nothing stood between them.
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Joel Embiid’s notable return
Not even players knew who’d be playing an hour ahead of Tuesday’s game.
After the Sixers’ injury report fluctuated like the stock market even up to an hour before the game, Daigneault wasn’t sure who to prepare for. On Tuesday morning, he spoke about how much OKC would be worried about Tyrese Maxey. Then, an hour before the game, the Philadelphia guard wasn’t playing.
Instead, the Thunder had to be ready for Joel Embiid, who was reportedly set to make his return after missing weeks of play. Without so much as a peep in the preceding days. Without Embiid even going through shootaround that morning.
But in a flash, he was back. And just as much the revered force as he’d been before he went down.
He posted 24 points, six rebounds and seven assists on 6-of-14 shooting. When he squared himself up against anything less than a double team with a third, shading defender, his jumper was cash.
He put pressure on officials. He ate where he likes to.
The Sixers ended the night dancing to his tune, a slow, drawn-out pace that almost led to a two-step and sway. A basketball version of Keith Sweat or Luther Vandross. Perhaps less smooth, perhaps more slow. Embiid’s free throws can do that.
He scored 10 points in Philly’s triumphant fourth quarter. He went 8 for 8 from the line during that period. Seemingly every charge at the rim meant Embiid would teleport back to his spot.
And then, in Embiid fashion, he addressed the media in the most fitting way possible. With a gaggle of reporters at his locker, Embiid turned his shirt around just so the cameras could see his message.
“Suck it.”
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Up next for OKC Thunder
The Thunder will head to Boston for the second end of a back-to-back Wednesday night against the Celtics (6:30 p.m., ESPN).
Western Conference playoff picture
Nuggets (53-23): Beat San Antonio on Tuesday night. Up next: at LA Clippers on Thursday.
Timberwolves (52-23): Beat Houston on Tuesday night. Up next: vs. Toronto on Wednesday.
Thunder (52-23): Lost at Philadelphia on Tuesday night. Up next: at Boston on Wednesday.
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Thunder lose to 76ers in Joel Embiid's return, fall out of first place
