NBA: Joel Embiid!

Joel Embiid leads Philadelphia 76ers to a close win over the Raptors. However, his team is once again losing a huge advantage. Thanks to a strong second half, the Hornets manage an away coup at the pistons. It was the last game before Head Coach Steve Clifford’s return.

Interim coach Stephen Silas stood for the last time in Detroit as head coach at the Hornets side-line. Steve Clifford will return after his absence from work due to illness – and will hand his team over with an away win in the back. The Hornets managed a strong second half in Motor City.

The pistons occasionally led the first half with 9 points, but Andre Drummond’s third foul and Tobias Harris, who had been strong to date, took the wind out of their sails. So the guests stayed within reach, we went with a 56:50 to the break tea.

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In the third quarter, the Hornets achieved a turnaround. Especially the duo Kemba Walker/Marvin Williams shone with an efficient offense. However, life was made easy for them – the way to the zone was suddenly wide open. In the third round the guests scored 26 points alone, Pistons coach Stan van Gundy was stocksauer.

But he didn’t manage to get his team’s defense back on track. A good combination of outside- and inside scores of the Hornets made her lead grow fast, a Walker’s three-way just 5 minutes before the end set her at 106:88. A last revolt of the hosts with 3 fast triples in a row remained without effect, although it became quite hectic again.

Williams (5/6 3FG) and Dwight Howard (17 rebounds, 4 blocks) scored 21 points each, Walker (9 assists) on 20. For Detroit, Harris and Reggie Bullock also played 20 points, Ish Smith scored 19 and 10 assists.

The Sixers have remained true to their reputation and have once again lost a great lead. It was a total of 21 ball losses. But this time they found their way back to the track just in time and rocked the victory home.

The Raptors played a weak first half. They started with more than solid 10/17 throws from the field, but then they broke into the offensive. Especially Kyle Lowry, who returned after two games break (coccyx), was not yet in rhythm (0/5 FG to the break). At times his team experienced a dry spell of 4/23 from the field.

On the other hand, Joel Embiid was obviously happy to be back home again: After weakening in London, he started here with a strong start and had already scored 18 points after 24 minutes. Jonas Valanciunas paid some teaching money in the Lowpost. Since JJ. Redick and Ben Simmons – supported by a good bank – were in shape, the Sixers went into the cabin with a 10-point lead.

But as so often, however, they were unable to maintain their level in the final stage after increasing their lead to 19 points in the third quarter. Philly’s offense was suddenly nothing more than piecemeal, forced individual actions did not lead to the goal. Numerous ball losses caused the panic to escalate and DeMar DeRozan reduced the score to 101:102. But then there’s this: Simmons (12 points, 4 assists) scanned first himself and then served after a great crossover Dario Saric, who met from downtown. The Raptors’ answer came in the form of a Lowry’s threesome and a C. J. Putback. Miles. 36 seconds to go, it was 111:108 for Philly. The ball went to Embiid, who pulled a foul against Jakob Pöltl (7 points, 8 rebounds). Both freebies were in – Game!

The Cameroonian finished the game with 34 points (11/20 FG) and 9 rebounds, T. J McConell achieved a career high of 18 points from the bank. Raptors’ top scorer was DeMar DeRozan with 24 points, Delon Wright scored 20 points from the bank.