By: Kylan Watson
After a statement a victory against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night. The Philadelphia 76ers entered another game that looked like a trap game against the injured but hungry Minnesota Timberwolves. The Sixers continued to add to their win streak as they destroyed Minnesota 118-94.
Early in the game the Sixers were colder than a winter night in Minnesota. They could not hit anything in the first quarter. By half-time they had a field goal percentage of 34.5%. This allowed Minnesota to get out to an early eight-point lead and it took them until half-time to cut the lead to a five-point lead.
In the second half the Sixers shot way better from the field. They were powered by center Joel Embiid. He had another MVP level performance scoring 37-points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Embiid was the main cog in a 35-point third quarter scoring output from Philly which essentially put the game away.
On another stellar night for Embiid, “He’s so hard to guard. You’re going to foul him, or he’s going to score,” said Head Coach Doc Rivers.
The Timberwolves continued to fight and make it tough for Philly. Their shooters in particular continued to make it hard for Philly defenders. They were getting whatever shot they wanted from the perimeter. Guard Malik Beasley was particularly deadly. He hit three three-pointers and scored 22-points. Philly did not really have an answer for him, and his shooting kept the Timberwolves in the game before the third quarter explosion for Philly.
The Sixers will now head into another tough match-up with the new-look Indiana Pacers. Philly will need to have another balanced effort if they want to push their win streak to three. They will need to not wait until the third quarter to have a scoring explosion if they want to beat Indiana.