Sunday night at Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia, the Philadelphia 76ers won their home opener against the Portland Trail Blazers 126-98 thanks to Joel Embiid.
The Sixers jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter, but as one might anticipate on the second night of a back-to-back, they let it slip away throughout the second. With Embiid back in the game, the Sixers put off a 17–5 run with a few minutes remaining before halftime to reclaim the lead and lead 66–60 at the half.
The Trail Blazers were never able to mount much of a comeback, with the Sixers building a comfortable lead throughout the fourth (allowing Embiid to rest for the entirety of the frame) and Philadelphia holding on to win 126-98.
Embiid led the way on both ends of the court for Philly with 35 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and six blocks. Yes, six blocks. He looked stellar throughout this one and it is extremely encouraging to see how in shape the big man seems to be to start this season off. Tyrese Maxey continued his success in this young season, adding 26 points on Sunday and Tobias Harris contributed 24 points on 8-for-11 field goal shooting.
The Sixers will have a few days off before returning to action hosting the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night.
Joel Embiid: 35 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 6 blocks
It’s just the beginning of the season, but Embiid is looking so good physically. We all know how it can look when Embiid is tired or getting banged up, and we’ve been fortunate to see the opposite from the big man to kick off this season. He’s getting back in transition and even leading the charge sometimes. He’s powering his way into and spinning through defenders, and has been extremely active on defense. It’s a great thing to see him play the amount he did Sunday night, the second day of a back-to-back, and see him do it so energetically throughout.
He’s also showing off a bit more of his playmaking. Without Harden on the court, the Sixers have a lot of passing to make up for. Embiid has been looking more and more comfortable as a facilitator. He had seven assists in this one.
And when it comes to scoring, Embiid did what he always does. He finds the opportunity to slam the ball down the oppositions throat, and he takes it. After the Sixers began to struggle in the second period, he put the squad on his back with 14 points in the frame to lead the Sixers with 24 in the first half. Embiid continued his reign of terror on the Blazers in the third period, tacking on 11 more points for a 35-point performance — all before resting for the entirety of the fourth quarter.
Did I mention he had six blocks too? Seriously. Six.
Maxey got his home-opener off on the right foot in the first period, forcing Scoot Henderson out of bounds on defense then hitting two threes in rapid succession down the other end with no hesitation. His pairing with Embiid on offense continues to find success, with the duo putting up 10 points each in the first quarter to lead the Sixers. Maxey hit another triple in the second and tacked on a few free throws for a 15-point first half.
Maxey’s stellar beginning to this season continued with what was ultimately a 26-point, 10 rebound double-double performance. The kid just looks extremely comfortable both shooting and creating plays, and it seems everything he’s worked on in the offseason is paying off thus far.
Harris (somewhat quietly) had an extremely efficient game that deserves some recognition. He couldn’t miss to start this one with nearly-flawless shooting in the first half (5-for-5, one triple, 1-for-2 from the free throw line) for 12 points at the break. In the second half, he continued to sink pretty damn close to everything he threw toward the bucket, ending this one with 24 points on 8-for-11 field goal shooting (two triples).
Overall, Harris appeared solid in several one-on-one situations as he worked his way towards the hoop. He also appeared to be in sync with his teammates to create opportunities off the ball, which resulted in incredibly effective offensive. Although Embiid and Maxey’s performance stole the show, Harris still deserves some credit for this one.
