Joel Embiid Embiid Avoids Fouling Out, Leads Sixers Past Cavs

Joel Embiid dodged a major bullet on Wednesday night, which helped him complete a victory over the Cavaliers.

Leading up to the fourth quarter of Wednesday night’s matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Joel Embiid was putting on a performance that was nothing short of spectacular.

In the first quarter of action, the big man checked in for the entire quarter, drilling four of his five shots from the field and making all six of his free throw attempts. Embiid led the way by scoring 15 of the Sixers’ first 29 points.

During a back-and-forth battle in the second quarter, which featured seven lead changes between the Sixers and the Cavs, Embiid scored nine points in six minutes. Going into halftime, the Sixers trailed by five points despite leading by as many as ten points in the first quarter.

Although the Sixers were struggling to take care of the ball, everything was going to be just fine as long as Embiid was in the game. Through the first half of action, the big man knocked down 70 percent of his field goals and 100 percent of his free throws, scoring 24 points.

The second half made things tricky for Embiid and the Sixers, though. The Sixers’ center picked up two fouls in 12 minutes during the third quarter. After wrapping up the third quarter, Embiid had three fouls to his name. As the fourth quarter quickly progressed, Embiid snagged two more fouls. 

After picking up his fifth with just under six minutes left to play, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers signaled for Embiid to stay on the floor. Considering the Sixers had a slight cushion, out in front with a 105-98 lead, one might’ve assumed Rivers would play it safe for a minute or two.

But he trusted the big man could have enough impact on the offensive end to make up for Cleveland’s clear attack in the paint, as they knew Embiid couldn’t play as aggressively down low.

Unfortunately, Rivers’ major gamble nearly put the Sixers in a tough spot. One minute after snagging foul number five, Embiid was whistled for an offensive foul before he buried a mid-range shot. With the game on the line, Doc Rivers made the obvious decision to challenge the call.

Joel Embiid was called for his sixth foul.

Doc Rivers challenged the call and was successful. pic.twitter.com/AI0K4jt6qp

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 16, 2023

While many were skeptical about the chances of Embiid staying in the game, the referees reversed their decision, which erased Embiid’s sixth foul and gave Philadelphia the bucket. 

After a few more minutes of decent defense and keeping offensive possessions alive with offensive rebounds, the Sixers managed to pin Cleveland’s backs against the wall and come away with the win.

At the end of the matchup, the Sixers had closed the game out with a 118-109 win. Embiid wrapped up the night with a game-high of 36 points, 18 rebounds, three assists, and four blocks in 38 minutes. It was the sixth-straight matchup Embiid scored over 30 points.

The big man’s supporting cast of James Harden and Tyrese Maxey combined for 51 points. Meanwhile, the Sixers received a stellar contribution from PJ Tucker, who did a little bit of everything as he scored five points, came down with six rebounds, produced three assists, and snatched two steals.

With a win over the fourth-seeded Cavaliers, the Sixers pick up their sixth-straight victory, moving to 46-22 on the season. 

Next up, they are set to take on the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.