Paul George leads Sixers to statement win over Timberwolves

Paul George continues his comeback tour, leading the Sixers to an impressive statement win over the Timberwolves, 115-103. Behind George’s 23 points and 21 from Kelly Oubre Jr. off the bench, Philadelphia delivered one of its most complete performances of the season at a critical time.

Here’s what stood out.

Who are these Sixers?

The Sixers have not been an above-average team in both rebounding and defense since Doc Rivers’ first season in Philadelphia, the 2020-21 season. That has once again been true for Philadelphia this season, but tonight the Sixers stood out both defensively and on the boards.

Defensively, the Sixers made nothing easy for Minnesota, holding them to 32-of-101 shooting from the field and 14-of-43 shooting from three. That defensive performance and the willingness and effectiveness of Joel Embiid, Dominick Barlow and Andre Drummond, especially, were enough to give the Sixers a major advantage in the rebounding battle, a rare occurrence over the past few years for Philadelphia.

The Wolves were playing their second game on the road in back-to-back nights and they were without starter Jaden McDaniels. Anthony Edwards had also just made his return to the lineup after missing Thursday night’s game due to illness. Some might question how impressive this win was given that added context, and while taking wins with a grain of salt is fair to a degree, this particular win remains encouraging as the playoffs continuously draw closer.

Nearly every win will have an asterisk next to it after the inconsistent play the Sixers have shown this season, but they still deserve praise for taking advantage of anything and everything they can in a matchup. That’s what great teams do.

Rated PG13

Paul George continues to impress. All season long, despite his health and suspension troubles, George has been an invaluable veteran presence for the team. Since he returned from his suspension, he’s been a key contributor in every game, playing arguably at an All-Star level at times.

Finishing the night with a team-high 23 points, George is now averaging 27.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals while shooting 50 percent from the field, 42.6 percent from three and 80 percent from the line.

George has looked like the nine-time All-Star the Sixers believed they were getting in the 2024 offseason. It’s been a long journey, and his time from Philadelphia is seeming far from being over — it’s certainly far from a proven success, but it’s beginning to trend in that direction at one of the most important times of the season.

Other takeaways

• Joel Embiid deserves tremendous credit for the team's overall success in this game. He showed a side of himself the Sixers have rarely seen over the past five or so years, hustling, looking engaged and aggressive both defensively and on the board. While it would have been easy for him to pout amid his first-half shooting slump, he rose to the occasion and was a major contributor in this win.
• Barlow’s contributions stood out early in this game as he scored five points and grabbed seven rebounds in the first quarter. Nick Nurse has remained committed to starting Barlow even after Kelly Oubre, who was sidelined with an elbow sprain, returned to the court. The Timberwolves use a two-big lineup, something several teams have returned to in recent years. In this matchup, Barlow was extremely effective  
• Andre Drummond replaced Bona as the big man off the bench in the second half. His extra size, quicker hands, and more sure rebounding — particularly around the basket — Drummond made a significant impact despite coming in cold off the bench in the second half.
• Kelly Oubre remains a key contributor. As a personal aside, it’s confounding how so many Sixers fans still refuse to acknowledge his contributions, but they remain evident. Scoring 21 points off the bench, making 4-of-6 of his shots from deep. It’s taken years for Oubre to properly rehab from an injury sustained when he played for the Hornets, affecting both his wrist and a finger on his shooting hand, but he’s put in the work and is now reaping the reward ahead of unrestricted free agency. Shoutout Mo, who Oubre credits for his recovery.

Up next for the Sixers

The Sixers are back in action Saturday night as they host the Detroit Pistons. Cade Cunningham is set to miss the match as he recovers from a collapsed lung, but the Pistons will remain a difficult challenge regardless, especially on the second night of a back-to-back.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EST on Saturday, April 4.

Unless otherwise stated, all stats included in this article are via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass, Basketball Reference or Team Rankings. All salary information via Spotrac.