3 observations after Embid’s injury scare lead Sixers to crucial win over Magic originally appeared in NBC Sports Philadelphia
Make it seven straight wins for the Sixers with one game left in the 2023-24 season.
The team picked up another crucial victory on Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center, taking a 125-113 decision over the Magic in the penultimate game of the season.
Joel Embiid completed the contest after a second-quarter injury scare (more on that below) and had 32 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.
Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 21 points and nine rebounds.
All-Star Orlando forward Paolo Banchero scored 22 points on 7-of-24 shooting, grabbed 15 rebounds and dished out seven assists. Franz Wagner scored 24 points and Jalen Suggs had 20.
The Sixers’ victory means their quest for a top-six spot in the Eastern Conference (and avoiding the NBA play-in tournament) will go to the last day of the season. Both the Sixers and Magic are now 46-35. The Sixers would win the two-team tiebreaker because they won the regular season series.
The regular season finale for the Sixers will be Sunday afternoon against the Nets. Here are his observations from the win over Orlando:
Embiid’s overall excellence
Embiid had finished two assists shy of a 37-point triple-double on Tuesday night when the Sixers beat the Pistons. After the first quarter Friday, he appeared to be on his way to a triple-double.
The seven-time All-Star played 12 straight minutes to open the game and recorded 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Embiid was at his crafty and aggressive best in terms of taking free kicks. The Magic’s big players, Wendell Carter Jr. and Goga Bitadze, each had two in the first quarter. (Carter only played four minutes that night because of back spasms.)
Embiid didn’t give Bitadze any chance to get in on the action, demanding the ball against him in the post. After assisting a Tobias Harris layup on a quick switch, Embiid lofted a pass to Oubre in the corner. Oubre hit his three-pointer and Orlando called timeout with the Sixers up 14-7.
It certainly helped that the Sixers capitalized on most of Embiid’s playmaking ability. They recorded 18 more points from behind the arc than the Magic in the first quarter and extended their lead to 40-25 on a triple from Harris.
Serious injury scare
Scoring became secondary late in the second quarter when Embiid limped in after making a layup and a layup.
Embiid immediately asked to be substituted and returned to the Sixers locker room.
With a minute left in the third quarter, Embiid appeared. Fortunately for the Sixers, he was able to complete his sixth game since returning from a torn left lateral meniscus.
Anyone remotely familiar with the Sixers understands that Embiid must remain available for the team to make a deep run in the playoffs. After Friday’s win, the Sixers are 31-8 this season in Embiid games and 15-27 without him.
Embiid decided to fire the Sixers’ first shot of the third quarter and looked good, hitting a three from the top of the key.
The Sixers continued to advance from there. Kyle Lowry built on his strong side in the second period, throwing a long-range assist to Harris and draining a three, Maxey hit a corner jumper and the Sixers reestablished firm control of the game. They led by as many as 17 points in the third quarter.
Maxey ensures Sixers can withstand Magic
Counting one minute of Mo Bamba in the second quarter, the Sixers used six players off the bench before garbage time.
They got several solid second unit contributions. Nicolas Batum was a constant sixth man. Buddy Hield hit two three-pointers and, aside from a bad turnover in the backcourt, made decent decisions on both ends.
De’Anthony Melton only played five minutes and didn’t appear in the second half, but had some standout moments. The 25-year-old guard hit two steals and hit a long triple late in the shot clock. We’ll see if he can stay healthy in his last-ditch effort to return from a lower back injury.
Predictably, the Sixers didn’t get a quiet victory against a tough Magic team. A fast-break layup by Wagner cut their lead to 104-97 early in the fourth quarter.
After a timeout from Sixers coach Nick Nurse, Maxey scored some critical points. Harris, who played stout defense all night at Banchero, also converted a putback layup.
The Sixers’ half-court execution wasn’t the cleanest late in the fourth, but Maxey continued to produce timely offense and the team tried hard to stave off any threat of an Orlando comeback.
