NBA: Sixers roll over weak Timberwolves – Embiid outstanding

After the Philadelphia 76’s win over Minnesota Timberwolves, the playoffs for the team from the city of brotherly love are approaching. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons deliver strong performances against partly completely overstrained Timberwoles.

The much longed-for center duel between Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns could hardly have been more one-sided: While the Timberwolves’ Big Man had a pitch-black evening, Embiid led his team to the sixth victory in a row – so Philadelphia secured a positive balance in the regular season, at the same time only one victory (or a defeat of the pistons) is missing to win (or defeat of the pistons).

Embiid proved, especially in the dominant third quarter, why he is one of the best Big Men of the Association. Within minutes, he blocked a Towns throw, sunk a threesome and finally freaked out the Wells Fargo Center with a Windmill Dunk. The 24-year-old thus had a large share in the 20-4 round, with which the Sixers started into the second half.

Towards the end of the third quarter, Ben Simmons completed his next triple double. The 21-year-old played 15 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds, Embiid scored a total of 19 points (plus 6 rebounds and 3 blocks). Dario Saric (18 points) and Marco Belinelli (17) were also convincing on the Sixers’ side, so that the hosts had a 29-point lead at the beginning of the final section.

However, thanks to the good performance of the Timberwolves Bank, this lead gradually melted away. Gorgui Dieng (15 points, 11 rebounds), Jamal Crawford (13) and especially Tyus Jones and Marcus Georges-Hunt, who each scored 11 points, brought the guests back within reach.

But after Sixers coach Brett Brown sent his starters back onto the stage shortly before the end, the chase to catch up was over. The Timberwolves couldn’t get any closer than 9 points. Towns had a double double (15 points, 11 rebounds) at the end of the evening, but the Big Man only hit 3 of his 15 attempts out of the field and also had 5 turnovers on his account.

Andrew Wiggins scored 16 points (7/17 FG) and 8 rebounds, but also had a plus/minus rating of -30. The Timberwolves remain in seventh place in the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz (rank 8, 41-32) and the Denver Nuggets (rank 9, 40-33) are right behind them.