3 observations after Embiid explodes for 50 points and lights up Knicks in Game 3 victory

3 observations after Embiid explodes for 50 points and lights up Knicks in Game 3 victory originally appeared in NBC Sports Philadelphia

Needing something special to get a foothold in their first-round playoff series against the Knicks, the Sixers were grateful to have Joel Embiid on Thursday night.

Embiid recorded a playoff career-high 50 points on 13-of-19 shooting, eight rebounds and four assists, leading the Sixers to a 125-114 victory in Game 3 at the Wells Fargo Center.

Tyrese Maxey added 25 points and seven assists. Knicks star Jalen Brunson scored 39 points and 13 assists.

The Sixers will aim to even the series at two games apiece on Sunday afternoon. Here are observations from the Embiid-fueled Game 3 victory:

First trimester highlights

The Sixers were determined to establish Embiid in the post to start the game.

He spun the baseline around Isaiah Hartenstein and laid the ball in to open the scoring. On the Sixers’ third possession, he fouled the Knicks’ big man.

New York went up 10-6 on a transition three-pointer from Brunson, but the Sixers responded with a 7-0 run. Crucially, that spurt did not include any points from the Embiid-Maxey duo, who averaged 64.5 points in the first two games of the series.

Kelly Oubre Jr. kicked hard with his right hand and landed a strike. He then hit a three-point action in Chicago (curling in from a down screen for an Embiid handoff). Tobias Harris hit a missed layup by Maxey.

The first quarter was defined by heightened physicality and intense scrutiny over referee decisions. This wasn’t shocking after the The Sixers’ well-publicized wrath at the end of the game refereeing errors in the loss in game 2.

Kyle Lowry was called for a flagrant foul 1 about five minutes later when he hit Donte DiVincenzo in the face as the Knicks guard rushed to the rim. After DiVincenzo’s missed shots, Hartenstein fell as Embiid passed him. This led to another referee’s review and ultimately an offensive foul on Embiid.

Predictably, Embiid forced the issue against Hartenstein on the Sixers’ next possession, passing the ball hard and getting a second whistle for the 25-year-old center.

Embiid soon picked up his second foul as well. In a play that had New York’s bench up in arms, Embiid ran into Mitchell Robinson’s legs as he was rising for the layup. The Knicks’ anger was easy to understand, as Embiid seemed to intentionally undermine Robinson as he was in a vulnerable position.

In the third review of the first eight minutes, Embiid was evaluated as Flagrant 1, escaping without Flagrant 2 (an automatic ejection) for “unnecessary and excessive contact”.

Trying to match the Knicks’ physicality and refusing to be pressured is good, but this type of play is very reckless on the part of the Sixers’ best player.

Payne ready for his moment

Although De’Anthony Melton was available on Thursday night,, he didn’t play. Cameron Payne ended up being the Sixers guard who made a decisive impact early in the second quarter.

After Bojan Bogdanovic hit a three to give the Knicks a 32-27 lead, Payne drove and kicked it to Nicolas Batum for a corner triple. Payne then fired back-to-back long-range jumpers of his own.

He also effectively took action during the Sixers play-in tournament win over Heat.

“My family is always there, so I’ll be locked in,” Payne said last week. “At any given moment, I know I can go out there and make an impact, help the team win. I jump all the time. If you see me jumping during breaks, I’m the one ready.”

Payne, who played three minutes in Game 1 and zero in Game 2, had eight key points in the second quarter for the Sixers. In contrast, Buddy Hield had another quiet night. The player the Sixers had seen as its main commercial acquisition deadline he was scoreless and played just four minutes in the first half.

The fouls were highlighted again in the second half of the second quarter. Embiid drew Hartenstein’s third personal with 9:10 left in the second period, which was especially important because Robinson’s movement was a big issue.

Robinson, who missed 50 games this regular season with a left ankle injury, was listed as questionable in Game 3 with a “left ankle injury management” designation. Every trip he made up and down the court was very painful. When Robinson picked up her third foul late in the second quarter, Precious Achiuwa finally received her first minutes of the series. The Knicks later ruled out Robinson due to a sprained left ankle.

Embiid picked up his third foul at 6:27 of the second for attacking Robinson. Sixers coach Nick Nurse kept his star center and Embiid was responsible for avoiding further trouble.

Embiid and the Sixers are on fire

The Knicks took a five-point lead early in the third quarter, largely because Brunson had by far his best performance of the series after shooting 16 for 55 from the floor in Games 1 and 2.

The night he lifted the Most Improved Player Award, the Sixers’ All-Star guard got off to a slow start. Maxey played a subpar first half, shooting just 3-10 from the field. However, he was sharp on both ends of the floor to open the third quarter. Maxey participated in a 9-2 Sixers run with a steal and a slam, as well as a putback three.

Although New York briefly stabilized after a break, Maxey isn’t done cooking yet. With immense and well-deserved confidence, Maxey drained a deep three to give the Sixers a 71-66 lead.

Embiid then joined the long-range shooting group, sinking jumpers he narrowly missed in Games 1 and 2. The 7-footer knocked down 3-pointers on three straight Sixers possessions. Maxey also did a balanced, high-quality job handling the Knicks’ blitzes during this period. He found Lowry open for a corner three that extended the Sixers’ lead to double digits.

The Sixers’ star lights going out was contagious. Oubre and Payne drilled jumpers late in the third and Embiid appropriately capped off the fourth’s scoring with another long-range shot.

Incredibly, the Sixers shot 17 of 22 from the field and 9 of 12 from behind the arc in the third quarter. Individually, Embiid was 5-for-5 from three-point range after halftime.

The Sixers’ 13-point lead was down to nine when he reentered the fourth quarter. Embiid’s presence ensured everything ended well.

Ten seconds after checking in, Embiid benched Hartenstein with his fifth foul. The seven-time All-Star reached a career-high in the playoffs with three well saved.

Even with Embiid playing with Bell’s palsy and with a bothersome left knee, Game 3 was a reminder that he is a powerful, well-rounded future Hall of Famer with the tools to win anything the defense throws at him.

The Sixers are still behind in this series and have a tough road ahead, but Embiid sometimes makes anything seem possible.