After four matches spent in the infirmary for a sprained left foot (which he thought was broken…), Joel Embiid was making his big comeback tonight for the reception of the Hawks.
A more than successful return on an individual level, as a group, since he scored the basket of victory, and compiled 30 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks! This is the 4th victory in five games for Philly, which climbs to 5th place in the Eastern Conference despite all its misfortunes.
“I wanted to come back with the idea of involving my teammates in mind because everyone has found their rhythm and is playing well” explains the All-Star pivot. “I wanted it to continue like this, and for me to be able to integrate into it. »
For Tobias Harris, author of 24 points, the presence of Embiid is invaluable. Especially when it comes to snatching victory like this night. In the last minute, Embiid scores seven points and steals a decisive ball.
“He was awesome. His presence and dominance is huge for our group, and he’s done a great job of involving everyone in the game.” Tobias Harris analysis. “His ability to take control of a game, especially in the fourth quarter, is important to us. He was impressive and we were delighted to see him back. We would have liked him to come back sooner, but it was good to have him for tonight. »
A defensive identity
To compensate for the absences of Joel Embiid, but also of James Harden and Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers have focused on defense, and in the last eleven games, Philly is number 1 in defensive efficiency with 103.7 points conceded by match on 100 possessions. With 105.6 points conceded on 100 possessions, they are 4th in the NBA since the start of the season, behind Milwaukee, LA Clippers and Cleveland.
“It’s a tribute to our staff” believes Joel Embiid. “I’m just proud of [mes coéquipiers] because they are present. You can see that they were waiting for us to call on them, and I’m just proud of that. The first games we didn’t play the way we wanted to… Injuries came, and we had to make a lot of adjustments… It’s just about playing together. The coaching staff made sure everyone was ready, making sure we did everything we could to win these games. »
| Joel Embiid | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2016-17 | PHL | 31 | 25 | 46.6 | 36.7 | 78.3 | 2.0 | 5.9 | 7.8 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 20.2 |
| 2017-18 | PHL | 63 | 30 | 48.3 | 30.8 | 76.9 | 2.3 | 8.7 | 11.0 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 3.7 | 1.8 | 22.9 |
| 2018-19 | PHL | 64 | 34 | 48.4 | 30.0 | 80.4 | 2.5 | 11.1 | 13.6 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 27.5 |
| 2019-20 | PHL | 51 | 30 | 47.7 | 33.1 | 80.7 | 2.8 | 8.9 | 11.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 23.0 |
| 2020-21 | PHL | 51 | 31 | 51.3 | 37.7 | 85.9 | 2.2 | 8.4 | 10.6 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 28.5 |
| 2021-22 | PHL | 68 | 34 | 49.9 | 37.1 | 81.4 | 2.2 | 9.6 | 11.7 | 4.2 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 3.2 | 1.5 | 30.6 |
| 2022-23 | PHL | 12 | 35 | 52.1 | 27.1 | 83.6 | 1.5 | 8.6 | 10.1 | 4.6 | 3.3 | 0.8 | 4.4 | 1.8 | 32.3 |
| Total | 340 | 31 | 49.1 | 33.5 | 81.1 | 2.3 | 9.0 | 11.3 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 26.2 | |
