Sixers

Once he did that, a series that had been all about his absence flipped. Sixers head coach Doc Rivers used the word “presence” six times in his postgame ...

“When I deal with this type of stuff, I just take it as what it is,” he said. Again, it would be appropriate to gush about Embiid’s toughness, and to highlight the last three games as compelling evidence of his MVP-caliber value — no statistics required. “I didn’t want him to be in pain or anything, so I was just checking up on him, seeing if he was good. He’s called load management “BS” and often expressed frustration with the Sixers’ caution earlier in his career. But you want somebody to be the best that they can possibly be feeling in life in general. Embiid paused his pregame routine at the foul line, removing the mask and asking for a towel to wipe his face. The crux of Miami’s defensive game plan in the opening minutes seemed to be limiting Embiid’s catches and having help defenders ready to pounce at all times and from all locations. Rivers employed Paul Reed as Embiid’s backup, and the Sixers’ defensive possibilities expanded into another universe with 48 minutes of centers who aren’t playing a rigged carnival game if asked to do anything besides deep drop coverage on pick-and-rolls. “It was very annoying,” he said. The list of injuries jumps off the page — a concussion and right orbital fracture eight days ago, plus a torn ligament in his right thumb. He’s the MVP for a reason. The bottom line is he was there.

There is one major issue that the Philadelphia 76ers must address ahead of their Game 4 matchup against the Miami Heat.

Embiid made his masked return for Philadelphia’s triumphant win Friday night, adding a different factor to the series. For the Sixers to continue to turn the series around, Herro needs to be the main priority. Despite holding Miami to just 79 points in Game 3, the Sixers still have some concerns when it comes to keeping up their defense.

Though Sixers star Joel Embiid didn't score the way he normally does, his impact in the Game 3 win over Heat was readily apparent.

He warmed up on the court pregame and confirmed he could play for the first time in the series wearing a protective plastic mask and with a torn ligament in his right thumb that occurred in Game 3 vs. "(With Embiid back), they can't load up as much," said guard Tyrese Maxey, who scored 14 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter on 5-for-5 shooting to key the Sixers' 31-14 edge in the period. He had a more pronounced impact at the defensive end, where Miami ended up 35.5 points below its average of 112.5 points in the first two outings. "I was really trying to get through it and just use my presence out there as a decoy," Embiid said. The spacing improved, as evidenced by the Sixers going 16 for 33 (.485) from 3-point range after hitting just 14 of 64 (.219) in the first two games. Embiid cleared concussion protocols Friday morning and participated in the team's shootaround, then his status was upgraded from out to doubtful.

The Philadelphia 76ers praise Matisse Thybulle for finally looking like himself again in the Game 3 win over the Miami Heat.

He’s a very elite scorer so we need Matisse to come in and be in his pocket, chase him around the floor, contest all his shots, and make it difficult for him. He had a block on a Herro drive in Friday’s win and he was constantly getting his hands in the passing lanes and getting deflections. Matisse Thybulle had a tough start to this second-round series with the Miami Heat as he really didn’t look like himself.

Joel Embiid made his return and the Sixers got a win they desperately needed Friday night at Wells Fargo Center, earning a 99-79 Game 3 victory over the ...

Harden was stripped on a drive — he was sure the play should have been a foul — and then picked up his third personal on the ensuing Miami possession. … The second stint, in that second quarter, I thought he found his legs. “That was the Matisse we need tonight. Milton made a key three-pointer at a stage when the Sixers were floundering offensively. He went on a personal 5-0 run that included a top-of-the-key three and fast-break layup. Thybulle seems to be trending slightly upwards on the confidence and rhythm fronts after being ineligible to play in Toronto last series because he’s not fully vaccinated. The Sixers then played a terrible few minutes that included Green tossing the ball out of bounds on an after-timeout possession. The bubbling animosity between the teams boiled over early in the fourth when Matisse Thybulle and P.J. Tucker were each assessed technical fouls. Embiid missed two first-quarter jumpers, but his efforts to seal smaller defenders in the paint were productive and impressive. Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said pregame that Embiid’s on-court activities had been limited because of his concussion, but the 28-year-old still managed to play the game’s opening 10 minutes and 26 seconds. “Well, I air balled a wide-open shot, so that’s the answer to that question," Embiid said with a smile about the difficulties of playing with the mask. Embiid’s agility is many classes above DeAndre Jordan’s. On Tyler Herro’s first touch, Embiid hedged hard and bothered the Sixth Man of the Year, eventually forcing a shot-clock violation.

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden hasn't had the scoring impact for the team that they thought he would when he was acquired from the ...

Obviously, Tyrese Maxey had a lot to do with that, but the offense was able to run smoothly with Harden running things as a point guard. He gets us to the right spots, he gets the ball to the right guys, that’s so valuable. That’s a great team win for us. That is due to the high impact he has out on the floor. The Heat stormed back and they tied the game at 57 as part of a 20-6 run. That’s a balanced offense.

Embiid: “But I was more irritated by the perception of when that happened, really their fans. I've always thought they've had great fans.

“So to me, it doesn’t bother me; I’m just speaking for really everybody in the NBA. if you give it, you also got to be able to take it. But it’s almost like, if you respond to it, it’s almost like, in the [Golden State Warrior] Draymond [Green] situation, the league fines you. “I don’t know,” he said. I don’t think he meant to do it. “I don’t think it was intentional. But it kind of changed my mind about their fans up there.”

"I've always thought they've had great fans, but it kind of changed my mind about their fans up there."

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With Joel Embiid out for Games 1 and 2 of the Sixers' second-round playoff series against the Heat, the team's Plan A was in Philadelphia. Embiid's impact is ...

“Paul basically played the same role that he played in the first two games, and that’s where we liked him — coming off the bench, matching him up in those minutes. Rivers played the 25-year-old early in the fourth, too. “It’s not one thing one guy is doing over the other. He’s at least seemed sharper the last two games defensively and c an perhaps be positive (or neutral) on offense at certain moments next to the Sixers’ stars through creating transition chances with forced turnovers, being part of double drag actions, and making the occasional smart cut. “The game was at a snail’s pace, honestly, so you felt very confident. He managed 36 minutes in Game 3, and they clearly weren’t a breeze.

The NBA on Saturday night announced that the Sixers have been fined for "violating league injury reporting rules" ahead of Joel Embiid's Game 3 return.

He posted 18 points and 11 rebounds in the team’s victory. During the team’s first-round series against Toronto, Gary Trent Jr., Thaddeus Young and Scottie Barnes played in games after being listed as doubtful. Late Friday morning, a team official said Embiid had cleared the NBA’s concussion protocol, participated in the Sixers’ shootaround, and remained listed as out.

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid wonders what could have been if he stayed healthy in his career.

He still feels like this current Sixers team has a chance to win a championship, and how could he not? Who knows how good I could’ve been at this stage of my career if I hadn’t missed those two years? How different would life be if everybody could all go back and make a different choice or if a different chain of events happened?