Joel Embiid Put On A Show In Leading The 76ers To An Overtime Win Over The Heat

Due to injuries and players excluded by the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the Philadelphia 76ers are operating in short-handed fashion. That was evident in a blowout loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday evening and, even with 24 points and 10 rebounds in the first half against Atlanta, there was only so much Joel Embiid could do to prevent a lopsided result. On the second night of a back-to-back, the 76ers returned home to face the Miami Heat and, despite a limited roster once again, Embiid was able to put on quite the show in leading Philadelphia to what became an overtime victory.

For the most part, the first half was standard operating procedure for Embiid. The All-NBA center produced ten points and nine rebounds against a Heat team without Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Goran Dragic, and others, but Philadelphia trailed by a 63-55 margin.

After halftime, however, Embiid decided to take the game over. As part of a 20-point onslaught in the third quarter, he threw down a big dunk and put the Heat in a spin cycle with movements that a player of his size should not be able to execute.

Later, he was even initiating the offense as something of a “point center.”

All told, Embiid made all eight of his field goal attempts and all four of his free throw attempts in the third period, throwing in three rebounds and three assists for good measure. When the dust settled, the Sixers took a one-point lead, but there was still work to do. In fact, Philadelphia needed Embiid to tie the game at the end of regulation, and the big man obliged with a pretty jumper.

Then, in the extra frame, Embiid continued to be the most dominating force on the court. On the offensive end, he produced a circus layup to put Philadelphia in front.

He also got back to basics with ridiculous rim protection at a pivotal moment.

Ultimately, Embiid finished the night with 45 points on 16-for-23 shooting and 13-for-13 from the free throw line, and Philadelphia needed every bit of his contributions to get the win. He also added 16 rebounds, five steals, four assists, and a blocked shot in 39 minutes, and it was truly a full-fledged display of his brilliance. There is something to be said for the weirdness of an overtime game that featured only 16 total players taking the floor and limited rosters on both sides, but Embiid stole the show and it was a showing to remember.