Joel Embiid didn’t sound interested in turning the 76ers’ preseason loss into a referendum on who should give up touches.
Philadelphia dropped a 125-120 decision to a short-handed Celtics team at Xfinity Mobile Arena, even with Jayson Tatum and Paul George out. The loss came with most of the key starters logging more than 25 minutes on average, with V.J.
Edgecombe the lone exception. But for Embiid, the answer wasn’t about sacrifice.
“I’m against the concept of sacrificing. I think the way I explained it was you do what you do best, and we’re going to support you.
I don’t really believe in sacrificing. I believe in JB… I believe in Tyrese and pushing them to do what they do best.
We have LeBron, VJ, and all these guys in the locker room, and we got your back… I don’t think anybody has to take a backseat,” Joel Embiid said in the locker room.
That message came after the first time Embiid and LeBron James suited up together in a 76ers jersey. James, the 41-year-old veteran, posted eight points, eight rebounds, seven assists and one steal while shooting 4-for-9 from the field.
But Philadelphia’s bigger names still produced and still came up short. Embiid scored 27 points with eight rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block, shooting 7-for-13 from the floor and 2-for-7 from deep.
Tyrese Maxey added 22 points, six assists and three rebounds, going 7-for-11 from the field and 1-for-3 on three-pointers. Jaylen Brown matched the star power on the other side with 20 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks, shooting 8-for-14 overall and 1-for-5 from beyond the arc.
Even with all that offense, the game was messy in key spots. Those four players combined for 14 turnovers, a reminder that the group is still working through its rhythm. The box score may have looked productive, but the result showed how much is left to sort out.
The 76ers now move on to New York, where they’ll face the defending-champion Knicks on opening night, October 20.
In Other News...
Sixers Just Addressed A Frontcourt Concern With Opening Night Near
With opening night drawing closer, the 76ers made a quiet but practical move to shore up their frontcourt depth by converting Tacko Falls Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way deal. The 7-foot-6 center gives Philadelphia another big body to work with as the roster takes shape, and the move fills the teams open two-way slot while keeping a player with previous NBA experience in the mix.
Fall has not been able to get on the floor in the preseason because of a strained hip, but his presence has still been viewed as a positive inside the locker room. Under the new deal, he can be active for up to 50 regular-season games and will earn a salary of $678,882, leaving the Sixers with one less open question as they finalize the edges of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Preseason Finale May Have Clarified Two Key Opening Night Roles
Joel Embiids final tune-up before the regular season looked a lot more like the version the Sixers need. In Philadelphias 125-120 overtime loss to Boston to close the preseason, Embiid finished with 27 points and chipped in across the board, giving the team a much cleaner glimpse of how the offense can function when he is moving with rhythm and purpose. The Sixers wrapped exhibition play at 1-3, but the bigger takeaway may have been how the rotation started to take shape around him.
One of the steadier constants was LeBron James, who led the team in assists in both preseason games, a sign the Sixers may have found a reliable connector for the regular season. Jabari Walker also helped his case with a strong showing in the finale, and his play looked good enough to lock in a spot in the opening rotation. Between Embiids sharper finish and Walkers push, the preseason finale may have answered a couple of the most important early questions for Philadelphia, even if the broader picture is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Turn To Tacko Fall As Center Depth Becomes A Real Concern
With the Sixers already dealing with a thin frontcourt, they are turning to Tacko Fall on a two-way contract as a way to add another true big man to the mix. Fall was unable to take part in the preseason because of a hip injury, but Philadelphias need at center has only grown with the injuries piling up around the position.
Fall brings NBA experience from his time with the Celtics and Cavaliers, along with work in the G League and Summer League, giving the Sixers another familiar center option to evaluate. For a team trying to patch together its depth chart, the move gives them a look at a player whose size alone changes the conversation, even if the bigger question is how soon he can actually get on the floor. [Read more 🡒]