3 observations after Embid has injury scare, leads Sixers to crucial win over Magic

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3 observations after Embid has injury scare, leads Sixers to crucial win over Magic originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Make that seven wins in a row for the Sixers with one game to go in the 2023-24 season.

The team notched another crucial victory Friday night at Wells Fargo Center, taking a 125-113 decision over the Magic in the season’s penultimate game.

Joel Embiid completed the contest following an injury scare in the second quarter (more on that below) and had 32 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

Tyrese Maxey posted 28 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 21 points and nine rebounds.

All-Star Orlando forward Paolo Banchero scored 22 points on 7-for-24 shooting, grabbed 15 boards, and dished out seven assists. Franz Wagner tallied 24 points and Jalen Suggs had 20.

The Sixers’ victory means their pursuit of a top-six spot in the Eastern Conference (and avoiding the NBA’s play-in tournament) will go down to the season’s final day. Both the Sixers and Magic are now 46-35. The Sixers would win a two-team tiebreaker because they swept the regular-season series.

The regular-season finale for the Sixers will be Sunday afternoon vs. the Nets. Here are observations on their win over Orlando:

All-around Embiid excellence 

Embiid had finished two assists shy of a 37-point triple-double Tuesday night when the Sixers beat the Pistons. After Friday’s first quarter, he looked well on his way to a triple-double.

The seven-time All-Star played 12 straight minutes to open the game and posted 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Embiid was at his cunning, aggressive best in terms of drawing fouls. Magic big men Wendell Carter Jr. and Goga Bitadze picked up two apiece in the first quarter. (Carter only played four minutes on the night because of back spasms.)

Embiid granted Bitadze zero chance to settle into the action, demanding the ball against him in the post. After assisting a Tobias Harris layup on a crisp give-and-go, Embiid zipped a skip pass to Oubre in the corner. Oubre sunk his three-pointer and Orlando called timeout with the Sixers up 14-7.

It certainly helped that the Sixers capitalized on most of…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/3-observations-embid-injury-scare-032542505.html

Author : NBC Sports Philadelphia

Publish date : 2024-04-13 03:25:42

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