Joel Embiid Dominates, Contains Giannis to Hand 76ers Christmas Win over Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks entered Christmas Day as the unquestioned class of the East with Giannis Antetokounmpo poised to repeat as MVP.
They left with a stark reminder of how dominant the Philadelphia 76ers can be.
Joel Embiid had a 31-point, 11-rebound double-double and the Sixers defense shut down Giannis in a 121-109 home win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Sixers knocked down a season-high 21 threes and held Milwaukee in check in one of their best all-around performances of the season. Tobias Harris scored 22 points and Ben Simmons had 15 points and 14 assists.
Milwaukee offered little help for a struggling Antetokounmpo, who made only eight of his 27 shots in an 18-point effort. The Bucks entered winners of three straight, including home triumphs over the Lakers and Pacers.
Notable Stats
Bucks
F Giannis Antetokounmpo: 18 PTS (8-27 FG, 0-8 3PT), 14 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK
F Khris Middleton: 31 PTS (12-21 FG, 5-9 3PT), 8 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL
G George Hill: 15 PTS (6-7 FG, 3-3 3PT), 2 AST, 1 REB
Sixers
C Joel Embiid: 31 PTS (11-21 FG, 3-6 3PT), 11 REB, 3 AST, 2 BLK
F Tobias Harris: 22 PTS (8-16 FG, 5-7 3PT), 4 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL
G Ben Simmons: 15 PTS (7-10 FG), 14 AST, 7 REB, 3 STL, 2 BLK
The Bucks Are Still Really Good at Basketball
In a world where we're supposed to come out blazing hot with takes after every single game, it'd be easy to spend a few paragraphs ripping the Bucks and move on. In their first game against their most formidable Eastern Conference opponent, the Bucks looked like frauds on both ends of the floor.
Good thing we're not living in that world. The Bucks are 27-5. They have the best record in basketball. Nothing about this game told us anything we did not already know.
The Bucks are more reliant on Giannis than any other contender is on one star. Khris Middleton is a good complementary piece, but he isn't good enough to single-handedly carry a game against a strong opponent. Eric Bledsoe is out of the lineup, taking away the Bucks' most dangerous off-the-dribble threat other than Antetokounmpo. While consistency is a major issue, the Sixers have more talent in their starting lineup than any other team, and the exact type of all-around length that can give Giannis trouble.
The Bucks swept the Los Angeles Clippers, beat the Los Angeles Lakers and are coming off a 28-point win over the Indiana Pacers. Giannis is the best player in basketball, and he's been using the regular season to test his jumper. After shooting 44.4 percent from three over the first 10 games in December, Antetokounmpo's jumper fell apart in Philly and he ran into an engaged Embiid at the rim.
Where do we sign up for seven games of this?
The Sixers Still Have East's Highest Ceiling
The Sixers entered Christmas a profound disappointment with a losing record away from Wells Fargo Center. Joel Embiid had been ripped apart by Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley, Ben Simmons still can't shoot, and the Sixers still don't have a player who can put the ball on the floor and get a shot in crunch time.
Games like this show why the Sixers are perhaps the NBA's best front-runners, though. This is a team that feeds off momentum, good or bad. The negativity and sunk shoulders multiply after bad starts, and the puffed-out chest and confidence boom when they're riding high.
This can be said of any team, but the peaks and valleys of the Sixers are greater than any other contender. Watch them on a bad night, and your natural inclination will be to break out the trade machine to help this fatally flawed roster. Watch them on a good night, and you'll wonder how any team can get past this group destroying teams on both ends.
Embiid has the capability to be this generation's most dominant big man. He was locked in from the opening tip and seemed to relish in making Antetokounmpo's life difficult. If that Embiid shows up in May, Giannis better hope his uptick in shooting splits is here to stay, or we're looking at a 2011 LeBron situation.
We knew the Sixers could do this. We know they can keep doing this if they bring this level of energy and effort each night. The Larry O'Brien-defining question is whether they will.
What's Next?
The Bucks continue their road trip in Atlanta on Friday. The Sixers play the Orlando Magic on Friday to start a four-game road trip.
