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76ers’ Joel Embiid silences critics with comeback 1st half vs. Hornets
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- 76ers’ Joel Embiid silences critics with comeback 1st half vs. Hornets
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The post 76ers' Joel Embiid silences critics with comeback 1st half vs. Hornets appeared first on ClutchPoints .
There's no two ways about it: Joel Embiid had a rough outing in the Philadelphia 76ers ' opening night win over the Boston Celtics .
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Taking the court under a minutes restriction as he continues to work back from knee surgery, Embiid turned in one of his quietest games of his career, scoring just four points on 1-of-9 shooting from the field, while barely even attempting to bully up on the Celtics' defenders in the painted area. His -16 +/- ranked last on the team, one of only three players with a negative rating in the game, and critics like Bill Simmons openly wondered if Embiid was cooked based on the contest .
After two days of fans openly questioning if the 76ers were suddenly Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe's team, Embiid took the court in his usual starting spot in Game 2 against the Charlotte Hornets and promptly reminded folks who he is, scoring 16 points in 15 minutes while amassing four assists, two rebounds, and a steal while draining three of his five attempts from 3.
Huh, over a point a minute? Goodness, that sounds like vintage Embiid.
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Now granted, Embiid still doesn't look completely healthy, moving around with a touch more labor than when he's at 100 percent, but "The Process" did a little bit of everything in the first half, and as the game transitioned into the third, he continued to do just that, scoring 20 in 20 while helping Quentin Grimes get his own mojo back after a down effort in the opener.
Is Embiid back to being a point-per-game scorer? Will the offense return to his tried-and-true brand of methodical backpeddling to the basket with shooters around him? Or will Nick Nurse remain committed to pace and space with his young guards, using Embiid as a distributor just as often as an ISO scorer? Fans will find out soon enough, but for now, all the fear of Embiid being BBQ chicken might just be over.
Related: 76ers' Quentin Grimes brings house down, breaks Hornets' heat with dagger 3
Related: Bill Simmons hits Joel Embiid with 'done' label as young 76ers flourish
