Despite a setback on Monday, the Philadelphia 76ers remain one of the hottest teams in the league.
While the Sixers fell 108-104 to the Bulls, they’ve won six of seven. And the Sixers will look to start a new winning streak when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.
Joel Embiid continued to perform at a level worthy of the reigning Most Valuable Player with 40 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and two blocked shots. It was the 11th consecutive game for Embiid with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.
Tyrese Maxey added 29 points for the Sixers, who only received a combined 12 points from their other three starters — Nicolas Batum, De’Anthony Melton and Tobias Harris.
“Sometimes you just have to let it come to you and I think even though those guys got a great number of shots, I think a lot of those weren’t quite in the rhythm of the offense,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. “There was probably another pass or another drive to the paint that needed to be made. So, I think you have to let it come to you sometimes.”
After being relatively dominant over the previous six victories, the Sixers scuffled at times against the undermanned Bulls, who won without star guard Zach LaVine.
The offense looked out of sync for large stretches until the fourth quarter, when the Sixers put up 35 points.
“Spacing was one. I think we forgot our fundamentals, but that happens,” Embiid said. “We’ve been on a roll and I think a lot of it had to do with not making shots for really the first three quarters.”
The Timberwolves will look for their fourth straight victory when they battle the Sixers.
Anthony Edwards scored 32 points to lead five players in double figures as the Timberwolves defeated the Miami Heat 112-108 on Monday.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 18, Naz Reid scored 15 off the bench, Mike Conley had 12 and Jaden McDaniels 10.
The win propelled Western Conference-leading Minnesota to a 20-5 record, its best start through 25 games in franchise history. The 2001-02 Timberwolves began 17-8.
“It’s all credit to the guys, their willingness to want to make it work,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said.
“We’ve got guys that don’t want to lose,” added Rudy Gobert, who grabbed 16 rebounds as the Timberwolves rallied from a 17-point deficit against Miami. “We went back to doing the little things, playing defense, moving the ball offensively, and then the game takes care of itself.”
Even when they weren’t executing offensively, the Timberwolves relied on their suffocating defense.
Minnesota allowed just 42 points to the Heat in the second half. It was enough to allow the Timberwolves to rally after a tough start.
“It takes for us to get punched in the face to wake up and do the things that we need to do,” Gobert said. “Every time we do the things that we’re supposed to do, especially defensively, we put ourselves in position to win the game.”
Edwards also made enough shots throughout to carry the team once again. That has been a consistent theme through 25 games for Edwards, who is averaging a team-leading 24.6 points per game.
“I felt great out there tonight,” Edwards said. “I enjoy playing the game of basketball. Every time I step between those lines, I give it 150 percent.”
–Field Level Media