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Joel Embiid’s return is giving the 76ers a level of confidence that could make them dangerous
"When he wants to be dominant, he will be," Tyrese Maxey said.
Joel Embiid took long, slow strides toward the podium and grimaced once he lowered himself into his seat. Three weeks ago, he underwent an emergency appendectomy in Houston.
On Tuesday night, he finally looked he the MVP-caliber player that he is. He scored 33 points and dished out eight assists as Philadelphia worked the ball through him in the low post.
“We did get him down there a lot,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said. “The guys did a great job on a couple of things they switched scheme-wise and we were still able to counter that a couple of times.”
“But then, it gave us a ton of confidence and we talked about it in one of the timeouts: Listen, we’ve got to go through Joel in the post because now they’re starting to send people and we are going to get an open look if we make the right decision. I think that gives the team a lot of confidence knowing that there’s something you can go to.”
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While Philadelphia gained confidence with easy looks down low Tuesday night, the Celtics grew frustrated as the tough shots they are accustomed to making stopped falling.
This is a pattern with the Celtics. Their commitment to 3-point shot volume and tendencies to settle for contested mid-ranges are nothing new. Most of the time, the strategy works. When the Celtics are on from beyond the arc, they are extremely tough to beat.
But when a team is dead-last among the 16 playoff teams in free throws and points in the paint as Boston is, there are bound to be nights when the 3-point advantage is wiped out and the easy stuff becomes all the more important.
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In their three wins, the Celtics have shot 41.6 percent from 3-point range. That number dipped to 27.2 in the two losses.
All it takes is one bad shooting night in Philadelphia to force a Game 7 where anything can happen. The 76ers have three players capable of taking over a game. Rookie V.J. Edgecombe did it in Game 2, Maxey has been the most consistent at it all season, and Embiid has the highest upside for dominance when he’s healthy.
“When he wants to be dominant, he will be,” Maxey said. “He’ll assert himself and he gets on the block, he’s just a strong individual and he’s skilled too, so that makes it tough. But he’s just very versatile. He can do multiple things, and that’s why he’s so talented and why he’s been the MVP of the league.”
When asked about the possibility of Embiid’s return after Game 2, 76ers forward Kelly Oubre said it was the biggest lift the team could ask for — not just in terms of production, but also getting that emotional boost of knowing that Embiid was alright.
“That’s big time. That’s the player that we all know,” 76ers guard Quentin Grimes said. “We love to see him out there on the court, so it was good to see him get back to his old self a little bit, and close the door for us. He was huge for us.”
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Embiid said he is grateful to be back on the floor after his appendectomy, which was the latest in a string of health concerns over the course of his career.
At age 32, there are no guarantees on how many more chances Embiid will get to battle the Celtics in the playoffs. He knows how easily an injury or illness can derail things.
“It means a lot. Obviously, I fought and I pushed very hard to come back and try to help as much as I can,” Embiid said. “I’m glad we won [Tuesday]. I didn’t want to go home and think all summer about what could have been if I was healthy going into the playoffs.”
“One more day, one more game to go out and try to make it back here. That’s the mentality. I’m just thankful to be in a position where I get to play. I don’t know how long I have, how long I can do this so I just want to enjoy [it] as much as possible.”
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