Player Observations After Sixers Win Fifth-Straight in Orlando

After getting off to a red-hot start to the season, the Philadelphia 76ers took a bit of a hard fall as their team battled through many key setbacks in

After getting off to a red-hot start to the season, the Philadelphia 76ers took a bit of a hard fall as their team battled through many key setbacks in November. Lately, they've been getting back on track, though, as Joel Embiid has turned his play up a notch and the rest of the team is stepping up as health remains a concern.

Last Sunday, the Sixers kicked off a three-game road trip with a win against the Washington Wizards. Two nights later, they had success against the Toronto Raptors. Then, before wrapping up 2021, the 76ers faced a tough test in Brooklyn against the Nets.

In their previous two matchups against Brooklyn, the Sixers fell short. However, they wanted to enter the new year with a bang and upset the Kevin Durant, James Harden-led Nets. With a win at the Barclays Center, the Sixers made it three victories in a row.

When they returned to their home court for their first outing of 2022, the Sixers dominated the Houston Rockets in South Philly to make it four in a row. On Wednesday, they hit the road once more to face the Orlando Magic for the second time this season.

In the first quarter of action, the Sixers and the Magic were neck and neck as the game was even at 33. Since the Sixers found some separation in the second quarter, they entered halftime out in front with a 62-59 lead.

Their lead didn't last too long, though. Orlando continued to battle hard in the second half. As Magic center Mo Bamba led the charge, the Sixers were outscored by four points before entering the fourth quarter.

While the Magic got an admirable effort from their young guard Cole Anthony, who finished the night with a team-high of 26 points, his sharpshooting in the fourth quarter wasn't enough to upset the Sixers at home.

Philadelphia left Orlando with a 116-106 win. That victory made it five-straight for the Sixers before they head back home to face the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.

76ers vs. Magic Player Observations

How did the Sixers individually perform against the Magic on Wednesday night?

Danny Green

By the time the fourth quarter had rolled around, Danny Green participated in a little over 19 minutes. During that time, he contributed to nothing more than committing a foul on the stat sheet. While he attempted his first two shots in the fourth quarter, none of them went in. Green finished the night with zero points on two attempts. When the Sixers get fully healthy once again it will be hard to justify keeping Green in the starting lineup. 

Tobias Harris

Knowing Harris, he likely entered Wednesday’s game with a chip on his shoulder after everything that transpired on Monday. In Orlando, Harris had a balanced game on the offensive end as his 22 points were spread out almost evenly throughout all four quarters. He went 3-6 from three and collected nine rebounds, nearly notching a double-double. It wasn’t a revenge game for Harris, but it was a solid bounce-back performance for a player who needed it.

Joel Embiid

Coming off of a triple-double, Joel Embiid didn’t have one of his performances where he goes supernova, but he was still the best player on the floor on Wednesday. In 33 minutes, Embiid hit on 12 of his 22 shots from the field. He also drained seven free throws and wrapped up the night with a game-high of 31 points.

Furkan Korkmaz

It’s hard to trust Korkmaz after his slump, but the Turkish sharpshooter has shown signs of becoming a solid role player once again. As he got the opportunity to start again, Korkmaz checked in for 40 minutes on Wednesday. Fearless as always, Korkmaz chucked up 15 shots. The young veteran collected 20 points and knocked down 44-percent of his threes on nearly ten attempts. As long as he can remain consistent, Korkmaz could keep a steady role in Philly’s rotation when the team gets healthy again.

Seth Curry

It’s simple; when Seth Curry is efficient, the Sixers come out on top. He’ll have an off game every now and then, but on Wednesday, Curry was stellar from the field. He knocked down eight of his 13 shots and went 3-5 from three. In total, he finished the game as a plus-17 in 41 minutes and contributed to 20 points.

Isaiah Joe

For the second-straight game, Isaiah Joe was looking good once again as he knocked down a three in the first quarter of action. Unfortunately, his night ended prematurely as he left the game seven minutes in with a leg injury. While the severity of Joe’s injury is currently unknown, the second-year guard was not cleared to return on Wednesday. 

Georges Niang

With the Sixers battling through a ton of setbacks, Doc Rivers played Georges Niang probably longer than he’d like. However, Niang gave the Sixers some quality minutes on Wednesday. In a little under 30 minutes of playing time, Niang contributed to eight points and grabbed six rebounds. He didn’t flash on the stat sheet, but Niang was an important piece to Philly’s win on Wednesday.

Andre Drummond

The veteran center did some great things for the Sixers in Orlando. He was successful on all but three of his field goal attempts and led the Sixers in scoring off the bench with 12 points. In addition to his scoring, Drummond came down with eight rebounds and collected four assists, three steals, and blocked a shot. As he was involved in every aspect of the game, Drummond’s performance was critical for the Sixers on Wednesday. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.