The Philadelphia 76ers are beginning to smile more these days. After their drama-filled offseason involving Ben Simmons and his conscience, getting back on the floor has made the Sixers forget about their off-court miseries.
The Sixers, playing without star center Joel Embiid who was resting, hacked out an impressive win over the Portland Trail Blazers, 113-103.
Both Andre Drummond and Georges Niang stepped up in the place of Embiid. Niang registered his best game so far in his first season with the Sixers, tallying 21 points, five rebounds, and five assists in 31 minutes off the bench. He even got “MVP!” chants from the fans, prompting Embiid to make a reminder, according to Niang (via ESPN).
“Joel told me to never let that happen, again. The fans here have been great and have welcomed me with open arms. I'm super thankful.”
Embiid wasn't the only one cracking jokes after their fifth win in seven games. With the Sixers also playing without Tobias Harris due to COVID-19 protocols and losing Danny Green due to hamstring pain in the third quarter, coach Doc Rivers couldn't help but have a snarky sense of humor about their personnel woes.
“It was great. I was joking with (Sixers co-owner) Michael Rubin. I said, ‘You only had 105 million (dollars) not in the game tonight.' It was just a good team effort. It was one of the games that I thought every single guy did something to help us win the game.”
The Sixers will have a big challenge on Wednesday against the surging Chicago Bulls.
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