It was a reversal of fortune for Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night as they easily dispatched Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics almost from start to finish.
The Sixers took an 11-10 lead over the Celtics with 6:28 left in the first quarter and never looked back. Once they extended the lead to double-figures, the score never dipped below 10 for the rest of the way.
The performance was in stark contrast to Philadelphia's previous contest against the Charlotte Hornets, where they fell behind by double-figures themselves midway through the second quarter and never threatened the afterwards.
Joel Embiid was highly productive and efficient in both contests. The Sixers center did, however, explain why it was supposedly easier to get a win over the Celtics.
Via ESPN:
“If you compare, you know, tonight from the other night, it's kind of easier to guard,” Embiid said of their win over Boston. “Charlotte, they move the ball extremely well. They have shooters all over the place, and they made a bunch of jump shots. Obviously, Boston is more of an iso-heavy team. So it kind of becomes easier to kind of load up and try to stop them.”
There is obviously some truth to what Joel Embiid is saying. The pairing of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown is one of the more isolation-heavy tandems in the league. It's still quite interesting that he's basically claiming that the Celtics are just plain easier to stop. The Cs will definitely try to prove them wrong in their fourth and final matchup – a nationally televised clash just one month from now.
Follow Us
Subscribe