PHILADELPHIA — After an outright embarrassing effort in Charlotte, the Sixers returned to snow-covered Philadelphia as they played host to former head coach Doc Rivers and the Milwaukee Bucks.
For the fifteenth time this season—and perhaps moving forward, the Bucks took to the court without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is out for an undermined amount of time with a calf injury. Milwaukee came into the game with a 3-11 record without their star, and while they've seen a rise in production from a number of role players in his absence, few can replace Giannis, even in the aggregate.
Ahead of the game, Rivers gave flowers to Embiid—who won an MVP under Rivers' tenure—calling him "Joel's the most talented player I ever coached." A statement that is quite kind, arguably true, and certainly odd while trade rumors swirl around your current superstar, but still.
Early in this game, Embiid did all he could to showcase what Rivers spoke of.
Putting up 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, playing all 12 first-quarter minutes, it was a truly vintage Embiid performance in a number of ways. Among his many highlights was a dunk off an alley-oop in transition from Tyrese Maxey, a moment that Sixers fans can hardly recall a similar event, even well prior to Embiid's knee injury.
Embiid finished the night just a point short of scoring 30-plus in five straight games, adding nine rebounds, five assists, and having some of the most fun he's had in years.
Clearly, Embiid found the fountain of youth tonight, but he wasn't the only Sixer, as Paul George looked about as good as he's ever looked in a Sixers uniform. Scoring a game-high 32 points, knocking down nine threes, while adding five rebounds and five assists, George was the floor-stretching two-way force Philadelphia needs him to be. The scoring won't always come in such bunches, but to know that level of game still remains in the tank is encouraging to all within the Sixers' organization, especially George himself.
Tyrese Maxey's game wasn't the flashiest of his season, but it was one of his most controlled, racking up nine assists to just one turnover. His 22 points were far more than just a nice addition, but the story was the way he ran the team in transition, taking advantage of the poor Milwaukee defense.
Rookie VJ Edgecombe, recently selected as a rising star and drafted by team Vince Carter before the game, was stellar once again, putting up highlight after highlight, thrilling the fans in the stadium and many more watching the national broadcast. Edgecombe has played third fiddle to the former Duke boys, Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, who have largely dominated the Rookie of the Year conversation, but with each passing game, Edgecombe continues to make his case as one of, if not the top, rookie in this talented class.
Justin Edwards deserves a special shoutout for being ready to jump in with a sudden 24-minute performance in which he thrived in an off-ball defensive role, helping keep him from the defensive miscues seen when he's overtaxed, while allowing the team to put significant pressure on the Bucks. An ideal role for Edwards moving forward.
Finally, Jared McCain deserves a shoutout for his second-straight strong performance. After scoring 16 points in an extended garbage time stint in Monday's loss in Charlotte, McCain responded by outdoing himself by another point while shooting an exceptionally efficient 5-6 from three. A good game yesterday. Another tonight is two in a row. One more in his next outing, that's called a streak, but it will only be possible if Nick Nurse extends him the opportunity.
The Sixers will remain in Philadelphia, where they will play host to the Sacramento Kings. Sacramento has lost six straight games and is expected to be among the more active teams at the trade deadline, but the Sixers cannot assume a win, especially given their history of falling into trap games.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan 29.
