National Post (National Edition)
Embiid's return to lineup gives playoff race a jolt
IT'S EXACTLY WHAT A FORGETTABLE STRETCH RUN IN NBA EAST NEEDS
Joel Embiid's first game for the Philadelphia 76ers in more than two months culminated with a game-deciding stop. Matched up against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey with less than 30 seconds left in a one-possession game, the reigning NBA most valuable player snatched a crossover dribble and took off in transition.
Fouled before he could finish the layup on the other end, Embiid converted a pair of free throws to help put away a 109-105 victory Tuesday in Philadelphia.
The contest between the 76ers and Thunder unfolded with less than perfect attendance: Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxey (hip) and Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (quad) and Jalen Williams (ankle) sat out with minor injuries. But those absences only brightened the spotlight on Embiid, who posted 24 points (on 6-for-14 shooting), seven assists, six rebounds and three steals in 29 minutes. His late pickpocketing of Giddey brought the home crowd to its feet and, perhaps more importantly, injected a jolt of energy into what has been a forgettable final lap of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
With the No. 1 seed Boston Celtics sailing in front of the competition and the No. 2 Milwaukee Bucks still working out the kinks following a midseason coaching change, the East's landscape has lacked juice since Embiid had surgery to address a lateral meniscus injury in his left knee in early February. The Cleveland Cavaliers, occupying the third seed, and the New York Knicks (fifth) have been hampered by injuries to Donovan Mitchell and Julius Randle, respectively, while the conference's high volume of basement-dwellers ensured there wouldn't be any interest around the play-in tournament cut line.
The Orlando Magic (fourth) joined the playoff mix ahead of schedule and the Miami Heat (seventh), the East's reigning champion, can never be counted out, but Embiid's absence robbed the conference of its biggest personality while severely undermining one of the top threats to the Celtics and Bucks.
“I just wanted to come back,” Embiid said in a Tuesday post-game interview with TNT. “I think we have a chance even with the level that I'm at. I'm only going to get better. This (injury) was probably the hardest, by far, especially mentally.”
When Embiid fell to the court against the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 30, the 76ers were the East's No. 5 seed, just 2½ games out of second place. After Tuesday's win, they hold the No. 8 seed, two games back of the Indiana Pacers in sixth and on track for a play-in tournament spot.
The 76ers' quality of play plummeted without their franchise centre. They dropped to 22nd from 14th in offensive efficiency and to 24th from 12th in defensive efficiency while posting an 11-18 record. There has been little to savour for Philadelphia's fans recently, aside from a thrilling victory in the team's first game against former 76er James Harden.
Standings slippage was only one element of the injury fallout. Embiid missed so much time that he is no longer eligible to win MVP, all-NBA honours or his third straight scoring title, despite averaging a career-high 35 points per game.
Tuesday's win suggested Embiid will need to make good use of the final 11 days of the regular season. He was already tugging on his shorts, the universal sign of fatigue, just a few minutes into the first quarter, and he couldn't find the range on his outside shot.
Chemistry with his new teammates must be developed on the fly. He sailed a pass into the stands trying to find Kyle Lowry cutting to the hoop, one of six turnovers on the night. Embiid's endurance and defensive activity on the perimeter should improve as he shakes off the rust.
“Where I thought (Embiid) really impacted (the game) was defensively late,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said. “He looked pretty good for not playing for a couple months, that's for sure . ... Normally, I would say it's going to take a bit (for him to get up to speed), but it wouldn't surprise me here if in one more game or two that he's ready to roll. He's lost some weight. He's worked really hard to maintain his conditioning.”
Though he wore a brace and a sleeve on his left knee, Embiid moved assertively and fluidly on offence and wasn't shy about creating contact. His midrange jumper looked sharp at times, he drew regular double teams from the Thunder's defence, and he earned 12 trips to the freethrow line that helped fuel a 76ers comeback. Reintroducing Embiid's wide range of skills into a mix that includes Maxey's dynamic attacking game, Tobias Harris's complementary scoring, Buddy Hield's floor-spacing ability and Lowry's veteran savvy makes Philadelphia infinitely more watchable and more dangerous as a post-season commodity.