Joel Embiid had another MVP performance in the Sixers’ victory over Miami.
With both casts severely depleted due to NBA health and safety regulations, the Sixers and Heat clashed on Tuesday in a game that at times resembled a preseason dispute. The Sixers had no major players in Tobias Harris and Seth Curry, and the Heat did not have their two All-Stars: Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
With Butler and Bam out, the general consensus was that the Sixers should cross for their eighth win of the season. However, this ended up not really being the case. The game went into overtime, reaching some last-second shots from both sides. Ultimately, Philly emerged victorious (137-134), and there are three main lessons worth mentioning:
Joel Embiid continues to look like an MVP
Joel Embiid pioneered the league’s MVP award during the first few games, before losing strength due to some missed action. However, after a dominant showing against Miami, he put his name back on that conversation.
Embiid ended the night with 45 points, 16 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists and a perfect 13-13 free-throw line. He missed just 7 strokes during the entire game and dropped the equalizer to send the game into overtime.
It is noteworthy that the Heat did not have a single active center during the game, but it was a dominant display by JoJo anyway.
Danny Green is now in the Sixers’ history books
After a disgusting performance against the Hawks, where he didn’t take a single shot, Danny Green exploded back onto the scene tonight for the Sixers, tying the team’s three-point franchise record in one game.
He dropped 9 triples, with a total of 29 points and 10 rebounds. Having him throw off the ball once again with Ben Simmons back on the team tonight was a big reason for his success. Green is a straight shot, not a guy who handles the ball.
Isaiah Joe and Dakota Mathias proved that they belong.
Isaiah Joe knocked out four trios and had a total of 13 points off the bench, and Dakota Mathias basically hit the three game wins in overtime.
Mathias also arrested Tyler Herro in possession of the next ball with the game on the line, forcing guard Heat to a ugly unbalanced three that resonated on the edge.
It was nothing crazy on the part of the two young men, but they helped to contribute to the Sixers’ victory tonight, and that’s all you can really ask of them when it’s all said and done.
Photo by Kyle Ross / Icon Sportswire
David is a 20 year old college student at the University of Maryland. A longtime sports fan from Philadelphia who started covering the teams in late May 2019. After just a few months writing for fun on a personal blog, he now reports on 76ers to PhillySportsNetwork.com and the Phillies to Fansided.com.