In Game 4, Joel Embiid was active for all but four minutes of the second half. The Knicks still defeated the 76ers.
PHILADELPHIA: Despite playing Joel Embiid for 44 minutes and outscoring the Knicks during those minutes, the Philadelphia 76ers fell short against the New York Knicks in Game 4.
In the Sixers’ 97-92 defeat, Embiid piled up the stat sheet with 27 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. However, he played poorly in the fourth quarter, scoring just one point, while Philly only managed 16 points overall. New York overcame an early 12-point deficit to win the game and take a commanding 3-1 lead into Game 5 at Madison Square Garden.
Bell has cerebral palsy, so Nick Nurse gave an explanation for why Embiid, who is recovering from a meniscus injury, played the last 32 minutes of the game.
Nurse said, “He was feeling good and wanted to go.”These are all must-win games, and we weren’t able to get much done in the first half with him out.Thus, we were prepared to carry on.
Embiid’s four minutes cost the Sixers six points. Tobias Harris’s free throws during that period were the only source of scoring for Philly. As usual, Embiid stated that all he wanted was to support his team.
“Embiid stated, ‘Your competitive nature is going to take over, and I felt that they always come back in the game in this series.'”I thought to myself, “I have nothing to lose.”I simply have to exert myself. It is obvious that things did not turn out as I had hoped. But as I mentioned, you have to do whatever it takes to succeed.
In the 76ers’ Game 4 loss to the Knicks, Joel Embiid plays the full second half.
Embiid usually plays the entire first and third quarters for the 76ers before being replaced with eight to six minutes remaining in the half. In the first half, that pattern held true when Embiid replaced the underperforming Paul Reed after just four minutes. However, Embiid’s only opportunities for a break in the second half came from play stoppages.
Leaving Embiid in made some sense, considering the Sixers’ desperation at already trailing the series 2-1 and how bad they’ve been without him the entire time. But the 76ers’ experience was obviously unsuccessful.
In the fourth quarter, Embiid was unable to score a field goal. Even though the Knicks’ oppressive defence, which kept him off the ball and forced him into difficult, last-second shot-clock shots, was largely to blame, zero field goals for the reigning MVP is simply not acceptable. He blew one of his few clear-cut opportunities by smoking a layup, and the undersized OG Anunoby’s aggressive defence proved too much for him to overcome.
When Embiid sits, the Sixers are to blame for their extreme helplessness. The offensive unit collapses, and they are unable to make up ground on defence. Nurse has been trying for months to put together a lineup of players who could play semi-competently without Embiid, but she hasn’t been successful. He bears a great deal of responsibility for this failure, as does his staff and lead front-office executive Daryl Morey, whose roster appears far shallower than expected.
In Game 5, the 76ers will aim to stave off a sweep.
GET MORE NEWS HERE
Leave a Reply