December 16, 2023
Jim Dedmon/USA TODAY Sports
Like most teams, the Charlotte Hornets had no answers for reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid.
The Sixers hit the road Saturday for the second leg of a home-road back-to-back against the Hornets and extended their winning streak to six games in emphatic fashion, obliterating an undermanned Charlotte team to the tune of a 135-82 victory. Here is what stood out in this one:
You will never believe this: Joel Embiid dominated Charlotte from the jump, controlling the game on both ends of the floor for 12 straight minutes.
On offense, the NBA's reigning MVP knocked down mid-range jumper after mid-range jumper, and then started overpowering Charlotte's frontcourt to get deep positioning and draw fouls. He scored 18 points in the opening period, well above his already ridiculous average of 11.3 points per first quarter. Most teams do not have a player capable of defending Embiid competently. Then there are teams like Charlotte who truly do not have a prayer. Embiid recognized that and pummeled the opposition.
The Hornets were missing LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward – and are not a particularly good team to begin with – but the Sixers' defensive showing in the first 12 minutes of the game was some of the best effort they've put in all season so far. Charlotte's starting lineup shot a combined 4-18 from the field in the period. Embiid grabbed nine rebounds to go with a steal and block.
On top of that, De'Anthony Melton looked excellent, nabbing two straight steals by reading the ball-handler's eyes and getting to the spot. And with Charlotte's lead option being longtime Sixers enemy Terry Rozier, head coach Nick Nurse had Nic Batum travel all 94 feet to defend him. Batum has made a habit of pestering opposing ball-handlers, regardless of their size and speed.
"He's a worker, he's really good," Nurse said after Friday night's win over the Pistons. "I clearly remember that from playing against him in the past."
"It's a nice small thing that pays a lot of dividends," he said of Batum's ability to defend across the entire court.
Just as Embiid has become impossible to defend in the first quarters of games, Maxey has dominated opposing defenses as a scorer in the second quarters of games. It is the perfect dichotomy for the Sixers, as the second quarter is when Embiid receives several minutes of rest.
Maxey knocked down five threes in just the second frame of this one, and went into the half with 21 points.
His ability to be a chameleon of sorts – a pass-first point guard when Embiid is on the floor, and a high-volume, high-efficiency scorer when Embiid is off the floor – is remarkable for such a young player. It is just another sign of how special he is.
Harris has struggled a lot of late, but showed some very encouraging signs on Friday night with his aggressiveness going downhill. That carried over to this game, as he came to play with a proper, decisive approach. It is just a two-game sample, but during this back-to-back, he looked a lot more like his early-season self that put up fantastic numbers at an incredible consistency.
With his massive expiring salary, there is a world in which Harris is traded because the Sixers seek to upgrade from him to a bona fide star player. The next month and change will be critical for him as he strives to establish that he can be the third-best player on a team with championship aspirations.
Embiid finished this game with 42 points and 15 rebounds on a comical 18-23 shooting line, all in just 30 minutes. Once again, he did not need to step on the floor at all in the final frame.
This was Embiid's 11th straight game with at least 30 points – a new franchise record – and his 10th straight game with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds. There is not much to say other than that he has completely mastered the art of playing basketball. Right now, Embiid has a solid case to be considered as the best basketball player in the world, and if he keeps this up, he could be a back-to-back NBA MVP.
Of course, Embiid's legacy (or lack thereof) will depend on his playoff success, and in the grand scheme of things, a December game in Charlotte may seem infinitesimal. But what we are watching right now is truly something to behold. Embiid is in pole position to win his third straight NBA scoring title, while also being a dominant defender and much-improved playmaker and passer.
With every passing game, Embiid further cements that he is going to go down as an all-time great, one of the best players in the history of the Sixers organization and the NBA.
