76ers Backups Take Down Hawks — Embiid Wins Scoring Title
Philadelphia 76ers forward Danuel House Jr. (25) lies on the scoring table while taking an interview after the team's NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, April 7, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Alex Slitz)
With the Eastern Conference’s number 3 seed locked up, the Sixers decided to sit all of their key players against the Hawks. It did not matter. The Sixers took down the Hawks 136-131 in overtime on the back of some players who could be contributors in the future.
No Starters, No Problem
With just 2 games left in the season, it’s clear that any player who will play major playoff minutes will not see the floor until the playoffs. This is a great opportunity for some of the younger players in the organization to show that they can play at an NBA level. One of those guys is a former first-round pick, Jaden Springer. Fresh off a G League Championship run, Springer made his first NBA start last night. Springer finished with 19 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists including a put-back dunk to send the game to overtime. When he was drafted, scouts said that his defense was NBA-ready, but he needs to develop as a scorer. He showed that NBA-ready defense against Trae Young on the Hawks’ final possession of regulation. He had the assignment of guarding Trae, and he forced a shot clock violation. Springer has shown in the G League this season that he is developing as a scorer. In the semi-finals of the G League playoffs, Springer scored 43 points. While he still needs to prove that he can score consistently on an NBA level, he is looking like a promising part of this team’s bench next season.
Georges Niang and Jalen McDaniels were two other players who shined in last night’s win, both scoring 24 points. Niang has been struggling from 3 recently, and last night was a great get-right game for Niang. He was able to hit two threes in overtime to essentially win the game, including a Harden-like step back. If Niang has his shot back, it could be huge for the playoffs.
Embiid Wins Back-to-Back Scoring Titles
With the Mavericks tanking, and Luka Dončić only scoring 13 points last night, Joel Embiid has officially won the NBA’s scoring title. At 33.1 points per game, Embiid has become the first Center to win back-to-back scoring titles since Bob McAdoo in 1974-76. The last NBA player to win back-to-back scoring titles was James Harden in 2017-20, winning three. Embiid has not only become the first international player to win a scoring title but is now the first to win two.
What we are witnessing with Embiid is something special. A center that can score as dominantly from all three levels as Embiid just does not come around that often. It seems that he may finally be getting the respect he deserves as he is currently a -850 favorite to win the MVP award on FanDuel Sportsbook. If Embiid wins the MVP, and scoring title in the same year, it’s safe to say this is one of the best individual seasons from a Center of all time.
Playoff Matchup Set
With the Miami Heat’s loss last night the Brooklyn Nets have officially clinched the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference. This means that the Sixers will face the Nets in the first round of the playoffs. While they are not the Durant and Kyrie Nets, they can still be a dangerous team. The fact that they have managed to stay out of the play-in tournament, without Durant and Irving is very impressive. Mikal Bridges has made the most of his new opportunity and is looking like a young star. The Sixers are 3-0 against the Nets this season but two of those games happened pre-trade deadline. The two teams face off Sunday in the regular season finale but don’t expect either team to play any starters.
