Behind a dominant performance from Joel Embiid, the Sixers have been able to end their losing streak. They held off the Miami Heat in overtime, winning by a final score of 137-134. Here are some grades from the overtime victory.
Danny Green: A
Danny Green came into this game looking to forget about the rough night he had shooting the ball against the Hawks on Monday. He would go on to have a career night in multiple areas.
Green would finish the game as the team's second-leading scorer with 29 points. On top of his scoring barrage, he would also post 10 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks.
His scoring barrage was much needed as the Sixers needed to find scoring outside of Joel Embiid throughout the game.
The major area of Green's performance was his shooting. He would go on to post a new career-high in threes made in a game, hitting nine shots from beyond. Green would also set a career-high in threes attempted, pulling up from deep an astonishing 21 times.
This was an all-around great effort from Green in this game. His scoring in the first half helped keep the team afloat in the early portions of this matchup.
Isaiah Joe: B+
This depleted roster has given a real opportunity to Isaiah Joe, and he continues to make the most of it. His confidence grows on the floor with each passing game, and he continues to show flashes of becoming a solid rotation player. The Sixers might have found a solid player with their second-round pick in this year's draft.
Joe would end the night with 13 points and five rebounds, he would also hit four shots from deep in this contest. The rookie would also cause a huge turning point in this game, knocking down a huge three late to set up Joel Embiid's game-tying basket in the closing moments of regulation,
Having a depleted roster hasn't been a great situation for the Sixers, but some good has come out of it. This extended time on the floor should do wonders for Joe's development down the road.
Ben Simmons: C+
Ben Simmons would return to the floor tonight after missing two games with a knee injury. In a night where the Sixers would need to rely on their stars heavily, Simmons would put on a lackluster performance.
Simmons looked frustrated from the opening tip, and would never really find a groove in the game. He would tie his season-high in assists with 12, but the rest of his game struggled.
Two glaring areas were fouls and turnovers. Simmons would have an early exit after picking up his sixth foul late in the fourth quarter and would give the ball away six times.
His final stat line would be five points, six rebounds, 12 assists, and two steals.
Joel Embiid: A++
Joel Embiid has put on some dominant performances this season, but this one was his best. He carried the team in the second half and overtime, hitting an array of shots to lead the team to victory.
He would end the night with a monstrous box score, racking up 45 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, five steals, and one block. This was without a doubt an MVP performance from the All-Star big man.
The third quarter is where Embiid started to find his stride. The Sixers found themselves trailing coming out of the half, but Embiid would quickly change that. He would go on a scoring barrage to sway the momentum back in the Sixers' favor. 20 of his 45 points would come in that quarter, and he did not miss a single field goal attempt.
This was a reminder that Embiid is the most dominant center in the league right now. The Heat were sending triple-teams at him at times, and it still wasn't enough to stop him from scoring.
With the uncertainty of when the rest of the roster will be able to return, the team is going to rely on Embiid heavily moving forward. After this performance, it is safe to say that he is up for the challenge.
