Joel Embiid accounts for 42 of the Sixers’ 142 points in a win over the Pacers.
As I’m sure many of you have noticed, NBA play the last several weeks has been pretty fun to watch. I mean, unless you’re getting a gun pointed at you on IG Live, but the games themselves have been stellar. From the resurgent Knicks and Julius Randle in the clutch, to a game that went to triple-OT with a bajillion points (RIP Clippers) and the continued stat-padding (lol) by the Joker. Luka and Kyrie both scored 40 too, marking the end of the world as we know it. We even get the pleasure of witnessing the Celtics fall back to Earth… And this is all just scratching the surface, so the question is; can this product get any better? The Sixers answer is an overwhelming: YES.
You have Joel Embiid going 42/5/3/2/1 on just 11 FGM (19-19 FT!) with another insane NBA2K game from James Harden (non-All Star btw) with a near 20-assist triple-double with just one turnover. Even Maxey scored 24 on 6-9 3PT shooting. And for the free throw haters, 19 with no misses is an incredible feat for a center and really showed how much he was able to control the paint against Myles Turner and the Pacers.
And that’s not to take away from the Pacers too, we are talking about a super-competitive 147-143 loss with Tyrese Haliburton doing his own cooking with 40 points on 19 FGA with 16 assists and just 2 turnovers.
The closing of this season is just getting started and with this high level of play from multiple teams and players, I think we’re in for a treat with a talented and overpowering Eastern Conference (this the 90’s again?) and a West that’s going to be a battle from the second seed to the eighth.
Here’s what else I saw during last night’s small slate of games…
Grant Williams – 16 MIN, 4-6 FG, 4-5 3PT, 0-2 FT, 4 REB, -4, 12 PTS. Grant “I’ll make them both” Williams. 🤣
Donovan Mitchell – 47 MIN, 14-34 FG, 4-11 3PT, 8-8 FT, 11 REB, 4 AST, 1 BLK, 3 TO, +3, 40 PTS. No need to pay attention to the game and who didn’t play, if it’s an overtime game with Cavs and Celtics, we know what’s going to happen at this point. (There have been three, Cavs have won them all.)
Marcus Smart – 37 MIN, 4-17 FG, 3-11 3PT, 3 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 3 TO, -8, 11 PTS. Smart shooting the ball 17 times is certainly a strategy
Lamar Stevens – 17 MIN, 3-5 FG, 1-2 3PT, 1-2 FT, 8 REB, 1 AST, 2 TO, +18, 8 PTS. Lamar’s +18 in 17 minutes was just as impressive as his 6 huge offensive rebounds and the intensity on defense… all were huge contributors in the win.
Evan Mobley – 41 MIN, 10-14 FG, 1-4 3PT, 4-7 FT, 17 REB, 1 AST, 3 BLK, 3 TO, +9, 25 PTS. This is your daily reminder that Evan Mobley is still doing his thang.
James Harden – 40 MIN, 3-11 FG, 1-6 3PT, 7-9 FT, 9 REB, 20 AST, 1 TO, +13, 14 PTS. Harden All-NBA first team, I do proclaim! 20 assists to just one turnover is pretty crazy. Quite the All-Star snub, never forget.
Tyrese Haliburton – 37 MIN, 12-19 FG, 5-10 3PT, 11-12 FT, 3 REB, 16 AST, 1 STL, 2 TO, +7, 40 PTS. Hali continues to show how legit he is… don’t let this monster NBA month take away from the fact that a 40/16 is not something you expect from a third-year player.
Damian Lillard – 38 MIN, 10-28 FG, 6-14 3PT, 5-6 FT, 13 REB, 12 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 4 TO, +8, 31 PTS. Dame, for better or worse, was basically doing his best Russ impression in this game. Especially when you consider the 31 points for 28 FGA.
Cory Joseph – 32 MIN, 6-11 FG, 2-6 3PT, 5 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, +10, 14 PTS. If you had told me Joseph retired back in 2018, I would have believed you for sure. Yet here he is, playing 32 minutes in a game in 2023…
Jimmy Butler – 33 MIN, 8-14 FG, 10-12 FT, 9 REB, 9 AST, 2 TO, 26 PTS. I find it so impressive how Erik Spoelstra always manages to physically drag the Heat’s corpse to the playoffs every year. Call’em the Zombie Heat I say.
Domantas Sabonis – 34 MIN, 8-13 FG, 1-1 3PT, 2-3 FT, 11 REB, 11 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 6 TO, 19 PTS. Giannis should take notes about how to complete a triple-double from Sabonis. Just make sure you only need one rebound going into the fourth, easy.
Davion Mitchell – 32 MIN, 6-8 FG, 3-4 3PT, 1 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL, 1 TO, +18, 15 PTS. Everyone is talking about K’Von, but Davion was amazing in the starting five with Fox out. LIGHT THE BEAM.
Jay is a longtime Razzball everything who consumes an egregious amount of Makers Mark as a vehicle to gain wisdom and augment his natural glow. Living in the D.C. area, he also likes spending time visiting the local parks and feeding lettuce to any turtles he encounters, including Mitch McConnell.
