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After having their matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans postponed Sunday, the Philadelphia 76ers took the floor against the Boston Celtics Monday night. Thanks to multiple G-League players making the trip from Las Vegas, they meet the requirement to resume play.
Doc Rivers had ten available guys at his disposal, but they were not the familiar faces we are accustomed to seeing. Two-way player Myles Powell signed a deal with the Sixers just days ago and got playing time against the Celtics. The rest of the second unit included Charles Bassey, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Henry.
Despite being without a significant portion of their rotation, the 76ers managed to still walk away with a victory. This win came primarily on the backs of the big three, who elevated their games to help carry the shorthanded squad. When all was said and done, the trio of Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, and Seth Curry combined for 92 of the Sixers' 108 points.
Harris' season has been up-and-down to say the least, but he looked like the player we saw all of last season on Monday. He finished the game with 25 points, along with seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
This was a night where the 76ers needed Harris in a big way, and he delivered. What stood out most from his performance was the efficiency he shot the ball with. Harris connected on seven of his 13 shot attempts, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. On top of that, he got to the free-throw line ten times and converted eight.
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Between his performance Monday and what we saw against the Heat earlier this month, Harris is slowly starting to look like his old self.
Curry has proven time and time again how lethal he can be when his shot heats up. The sharpshooting guard was the Sixers' second-leading scorer with 26 points and dished a team-high seven assists.
Similar to Harris, Curry was also super effective shooting the ball. He knocked down all but three of his 14 field goal attempts and was a perfect 3-for-3 from deep. The two-man game between Curry and Embiid has been a growing element of the Sixers' offense, and it was on display against the Celtics. When Curry is shooting this efficiently from the floor, teams have to pick their poison when defending him and the big fella.
All three players turned in big performances, but Embiid was undoubtedly the player of the game. In true superstar fashion, he did it all to lead his team to victory. The All-Star center posted a monster stat-line of 41 points, ten rebounds, five assists, two steals, and four blocks.
Embiid's biggest moments came in the game's final minutes. With the win still not set in stone, the 76ers put the ball in the hands of their best player to put Boston away for good. Embiid went on to do just that, hitting a trio of mid-range jumpers to keep the Celtics at bay.
The Sixers desperately needed to get back in the win column, and their key players did everything they could to make that happen. Their work is not done though, as it will be on them to continue to lead the charge for this team as they once again have to work their back to full strength.
