3 observations after Embiid’s 37 points, Oubre’s 8 steals help Sixers blow out Blazers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers enjoyed an unusually routine, comfortable victory Monday night in Portland.
With a 125-103 decision over the Trail Blazers, they built their winning streak to four games and improved to 13-17 on the season.
Joel Embiiid posted a season-high 37 points and nine rebounds. Tyrese Maxey scored 23 points. Both stars were highly efficient; the duo totaled its 60 points on just 34 field goal attempts.
Kelly Oubre Jr. provided 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting, five rebounds and a career-high eight steals. He came one steal short of the Sixers’ all-time record for a regular-season game. Before Oubre’s performance, no Sixer had tallied eight steals in a game since Robert Covington on Nov. 27, 2015.
The Sixers had five players out with injuries in Jared McCain (left lateral meniscus surgery), KJ Martin (left foot stress reaction), Andre Drummond (left toe sprain), Kyle Lowry (right hip soreness) and Eric Gordon (oral surgery).
They’ll aim to keep winning on the West Coast when they play the Kings on Wednesday night. Here are observations on the Sixers’ victory over the Blazers:
New week, same Maxey
The bounces were not friendly for the Sixers in a sloppy first couple of minutes.
Maxey’s three-pointer went in and out, Paul George missed a layup and Embiid didn’t receive two whistles that he expected down low. Eventually, Caleb Martin broke the ice with a corner three.
It took Maxey little time to swipe a steal, as he’s done in every single game this season, and he jetted the other way for an and-one layup. The Sixers created five Blazers turnovers in under five minutes.
The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, Maxey was easily the Sixers’ best player in the first quarter, scoring 11 points on 3-for-5 shooting. He played nearly 11 minutes in his first stint and, thanks largely to the very rare luxury this season of watching a blowout win conclude from the bench, finished with “just” 36.
Maxey’s consistent production has been central to the Sixers’ 10-3 run over their last 13 games. He’s reached the 20-point mark nine games in a row.
Foul trouble sequel for George
After being forced to sit with five fouls for an extended stretch Saturday in the Sixers’ win over the Jazz, George picked up two quick ones. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse kept him in the game … and that decision backfired again.
George was called for his third foul with 4:19 to go in the first quarter and sat the remainder of the opening half. Two consecutive regular-season games with foul trouble is unimportant in the big picture, but George would surely love to stay on the floor without foul-related interruptions as he aims to get back on track offensively.
That did not happen Monday. George played only 23 minutes and recorded nine points, six rebounds and four assists.
George’s foul situation essentially made the Sixers even more shorthanded. They used three bench rotation players Monday in Ricky Council IV, Guerschon Yabusele and Reggie Jackson. Yabusele served as the Sixers’ backup center and gave up about a half-foot in height to 7-foot-2 Blazers rookie Donovan Clingan. Sixers rookie big man Adem Bona remained out of the rotation.
As a team, the Sixers didn’t close out the first quarter well. Yabusele shot a three off the side of the backboard, leading to a Deni Avdija dunk that tied the game.
The ball finds Oubre’s energy
No one would’ve been stunned if the short-rotation Sixers didn’t have great focus and intensity against an opponent near the bottom of the standings.
Oubre’s energy was immense. The 29-year-old wing celebrated drawing an offensive foul on Clingan by dropping down and repping out a few push-ups. He blocked an Anfernee Simons three-point try in the final seconds of the second quarter, hunted down steal after steal, and found the ball constantly.
The Blazers did not enjoy having to face Oubre and their turnover problems persisted all night. Avdija committed a career-worst 10 turnovers in the game.
Along with Oubre, Yabusele brought some serious sparks. He thrilled the Sixers’ bench in the second quarter by jamming in a monstrous slam over Avdija. Yabusele racked up 15 first-half points, including a three that he buried right in front of his still-exuberant teammates.
The Sixers went up by as many as 17 points in the second quarter and didn’t have any significant issues from there. At times, it felt like Embiid was having a slightly off game — an awkward move here, a blocked jumper there — but he naturally wound up with 20 points in the first half and piled plenty more on top of that.
Embiid shot 12 for 13 at the foul line Monday, which actually decreased his season free throw percentage from 93.3 to 93.2 percent.
