Joel Embiid's return not enough as Sixers pushed to brink of elimination
PHILADELPHIA -- Joel Embiidreturned to the court for the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, but that didn't prevent them from falling into a 3-0 hole in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the New York Knicks.
Embiid finished with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists in 34 minutes, but it was New York -- playing without OG Anunoby, who is sidelined because of a right hamstring strain he suffered in Game 2 on Wednesday night -- that emerged with a108-94 victory over the 76ers in front of a sold-out, but pretty evenly divided, crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
"I'm OK," Embiid said after missing Game 2 because of ankle and hip injuries. "Obviously, a tough loss tonight. Just have to take it one game at a time."
New York is one win from advancing to the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight season. Meanwhile, Philadelphia, which became the fourth team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 series deficit as the lower seed by beating the Boston Celtics in the first round, is on the verge of having its season end in the conference semifinals for a sixth time in the past nine years. If the 76ers lose again in this series, they will have failed to reach the conference finals for the 25th consecutive season.
"S---. Win a game," Paul Georgesaid. "Win a game. Keep [the season] alive."
Embiid was dominant in the final three games of the 76ers' first-round series against the Celtics, but he didn't provide that kind of production or energy Friday night.
"I thought he gave us everything he could," 76ers coach Nick Nurse said of Embiid. "I really do. I think he tried to give us everything he could tonight, and that's all he can do."
The Knicks repeatedly targeted Embiid on offense, taking advantage of his limited mobility to get easy baskets, or to attack the offensive glass and get second-chance opportunities.
New York outscored Philadelphia in bench points 29-11, and the 76ers' reserves didn't score until Quentin Grimes hit a 3-pointer in the middle of the fourth quarter.
"We've got a lot of good guys that are resilient, that are fighters," Knicks coach Mike Brown said of his bench. "And they've done a good job of keeping their mind or staying present in whatever we're doing. And it's showing when they go out there and get the opportunity."
George got off to a hot start, scoring 15 of Philadelphia's 31 first-quarter points to help the 76ers take an early lead. But in the final three quarters, he went 0-for-9 from the floor and was held scoreless. And as the game wore on, the Knicks, who didn't provide any details on Anunoby's health, made far more hustle, energy and effort plays to pull away.
The Knicks also received a boost from the crowd. Despite the 76ers' numerous attempts to discourage Knicks fans from attending Game 3, there were chants of "Let's Go Knicks!" from the crowd.
After imploring local supporters to keep Knicks fans out of Xfinity Mobile Arena, Embiid was asked about the chants.
"I don't know," he said. "I was focused on the game. I really wasn't paying attention."
A week ago, the 76ers rallied back from a 3-1 series deficit. Now, they are staring at a 3-0 series hole with their season on the line again.
"We're right there," George said. "We're just not finishing the game. I think we're right there. We're putting together three great quarters. We're just not closing it out.
"I think we've just got to take it one game at a time. Again, we've been in position to win these games, give them credit. They've been huge down the stretch on their end, but I think the adjustments we can make limit their possessions, their extra second possessions, take one game at a time, and we'll be back in that 3-1 spot where we were comfortable in the first series and try to claw our way back into it."
