BROOKLYN, NY — The Philadelphia 76ers have won their last two games against the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets in rough fashion. Joel Embiid saved the day for Philly with his incredible scoring and defense. But he also made the right passes at crucial times even though his Sixers teammates weren't at their best.
Embiid was good in each game, especially against the Nets, but many members of his supporting cast were not. De'Anthony Melton shot 2-9 from the field across both games and went scoreless in Brooklyn. Tobias Harris shot 6-22 and Shake Milton shot 1-4. Embiid still shared the ball well throughout both games.
“Like I always say, you can't win one-on-five,” Embiid said. “I joked around with them after the game that…based on the last night, I should have probably have at least 10 assists each game. But, you gotta keep trusting them, especially with the way teams double me…You just got to keep trusting 'em. And I feel like I'd be making the right plays over and over. It's gonna pay off at some point. You know, it's gonna be one night where we just get hot and guys just keep hitting shots.”
Doc Rivers complimented Embiid on his passing after the Sixers win, though the main takeaway was obviously his scoring. Against blocks-per-game leader Nic Claxton and an armada of switchable, tough defenders, Embiid scored 37 points on 12-18 shooting from the field and 12-13 shooting from the free-throw line.
Embiid said that he had to learn throughout his career not to be Superman all the time and instead lean on his teammates. He has shown a great willingness to do that this season with so many talented guys around him.
“I can shoot over double teams and I can make some of those shots,” he said. “But I've come to find out that you can't win alone. You need to trust your teammates even when they're missing. You need to keep making the right plays, making the right reads. That's how you play basketball. You're not gonna win by being selfish and taking all the shots and shooting over double teams and triple teams.”
Although Joel Embiid admitted that he'll call his own number when he finds a shooting groove, his playmaking is a dangerous weapon that can propel the Sixers to wins when his supporting cast goes off.
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