Russell Westbrook, Thunder Beat Joel Embiid, 76ers to Earn 8th Win in a Row
Here come the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Oklahoma City, already in the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, won its eighth straight game Sunday at Chesapeake Energy Arena, outlasting Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers, 122-112. The Thunder swept the season series against Philadelphia, although they needed triple-overtime in the December matchup.
Russell Westbrook (37 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds) and Paul George (31 points, four rebounds and four assists) led the way, facilitating much of the offense as the primary ball-handlers in the half court and using their athleticism to consistently get out in transition.
Embiid (27 points, 10 boards and two blocks) and Ben Simmons (22 points, seven assists and four rebounds) both impressed for the visitors but couldn't counter Oklahoma City's two All-Stars down the stretch.
There was more pressure on Westbrook in the backcourt in the Thunder's first game since Andre Roberson ruptured his patellar tendon, per Brett Dawson of the Oklahoman.
As a result, Philadelphia swarmed the reigning MVP on the defensive end, using Simmons' length to bother his perimeter shots and Embiid to protect the rim when he attacked. Westbrook missed his first six shots before settling in, eventually imposing his will on dribble drives despite shooting 1-of-6 from three-point range.
He also impacted the game in other ways, battling Embiid and the Philadelphia bigs for rebounds and creating looks for his teammates with his relentlessness while attacking.
One thing he couldn't do, though, was stop Embiid from soaring over him for a head-turning slam in the first quarter:
Westbrook had an answer in the second when he traded dunks with Simmons:
Even with Westbrook's numbers, it looked as if the Sixers would earn a road win when they built a seven-point lead in the third quarter behind the efforts of Embiid and Simmons. However, Westbrook and George went into takeover mode—scoring or assisting on the team's final nine field goals of the quarter and turning the deficit into a nine-point advantage before the fourth.
George did what he does best and thrived on both ends of the floor, tallying four steals while defending Philadelphia's perimeter threats and still providing an offensive spark alongside Westbrook. He wasted little time making an impact, as his 13 points in the first marked the fourth time in five games he scored in double figures in the opening quarter.
Steven Adams notched a double-double (20 points and 13 rebounds), while Carmelo Anthony added 16 points in support, but Sunday belonged to George and Westbrook.
Philadelphia's twosome hung with them for most of the game, as Embiid didn't shy away from physically battling Adams on the blocks and used his touch on the outside (3-of-4 from deep) when Oklahoma City's bigs didn't venture outside the paint.
His three-pointer cut the lead to one in the fourth quarter as Billy Donovan attempted to steal a few minutes with Westbrook, Anthony and George on the bench, but Westbrook returned with a statement dunk before guiding his team to victory.
Westbrook shined, but that doesn't take away from Simmons' showing. The youngster was tasked with keeping up with the MVP on one end and still managed to glide through Oklahoma City's defense to open the offense for himself and others.
Finishing at the rim wasn't a problem (10-of-14 from the field), but he also created looks for Dario Saric and Robert Covington (three three-pointers each) as the wing players attempted to replicate JJ Redick's missing shooting.
Redick hasn't played since Jan. 15 because of a leg injury, and Philadelphia could have used his veteran poise as the Thunder seized control in the second half.
The Thunder will look to keep it rolling in Tuesday's matchup against the Washington Wizards, while the 76ers will continue their four-game road trip Monday against the Milwaukee Bucks.
