Joel Embiid’s Sharpshooting Helps Sixers Dominate Timberwolves

Joel Embiid and the Sixers capped off their road trip with a dominant win over the Timberwolves.

Despite getting two reinforcements ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Philadelphia 76ers still entered the matchup shorthanded.

Tobias Harris and PJ Tucker were cleared for action after missing Monday’s matchup against the Indiana Pacers. James Harden was downgraded ahead of the matchup, getting a rest night for the second game of the back-to-back set due to foot soreness. 

While Harden’s playmaking is critical for the Sixers, the team’s other star had it covered.

Joel Embiid was a man on a mission Tuesday night. For a guy that used to miss the second nights of back-to-backs in order to preserve his health, it looked like the big man was making up for lost time on Tuesday.

In his first ten minutes of action, Embiid scored nine points on 4-7 shooting from the field. While he led the charge for the Sixers, Philadelphia struggled to find an answer for Minnesota’s early attack. Timberwolves' young star Anthony Edwards produced ten points in 12 minutes. He helped the Wolves gain an early three-point lead through one quarter.

While Minnesota was out in front early in the first half, the Sixers quickly turned things around and gained a 15-point advantage in the second quarter. 

Getting off to a 34-18 rally, the Sixers were out in front with a 58-45 lead at halftime. For the second-straight night, Embiid was dueling with the other team’s star but slightly trailing through two quarters.

However, Embiid had a mic-drop performance in the third quarter. 

Checking in for under 11 minutes, Embiid managed to get off 11 shots from the field. He knocked down six baskets and was a perfect 8-8 from the free-throw line. 

The big man would post 22 points in a single quarter for the second time this year. Embiid was responsible for all but seven of the Sixers' third-quarter points, which gave the team a 19-point cushion going into the fourth quarter.

At that point, Embiid’s night was finished. The big man checked in for fewer than 29 minutes and scored a game-high of 39 points on 59 percent shooting from the field and going 4-4 from deep. From then on, Tyrese Maxey led the charge as the Sixers cruised past the Timberwolves with a dominant win. 

Maxey finished the game with 27 points and five assists in 30 minutes. The three other starters on the floor, Tobias Harris, De’Anthony Melton, and PJ Tucker, totaled for 21 points. The Sixers closed out Tuesday’s game with a notable 117-94 victory.

Wrapping up a tough five-game road trip, the Sixers head back to South Philly with a 4-1 record. Overall, they’re 43-22 on the year, trailing only the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference.

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