Joel Embiid feeling ‘pretty good’ but the Sixers’ role players must be better in Game 2 vs. Knicks

NEW YORK — As Nick Nurse sees it, the 76ers did a couple of things “really well” schematically. Yet, the coach believes his team let the New York Knicks play to their strengths.

But there were a lot of things that contributed to the Sixers’ 111-104 Game 1 loss to the Knicks Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. And very few were surprising in this best-of-seven first-round series.

» READ MORE: Joel Embiid’s career is more important than these playoffs. The Sixers’ Game 1 loss should show him that.

As the league’s top offensive rebounding team, the Knicks grabbed 23 leading to 26 second-chance points. The Sixers were outscored by 21 points in the 11 minutes, 27 seconds that Joel Embiid was out of the game. Tobias Harris, once again, struggled to get involved in and/or take advantage of scoring opportunities. And one of the biggest questions surrounding the Sixers heading into Monday’s Game 2 is Embiid’s health.

The reigning MVP had another scare after landing awkwardly on his left leg following a late second-quarter dunk. Embiid, who had missed two months with a torn meniscus in that knee, was back on the floor to start the third quarter. He finished with 29 points, eight rebounds, a team-high six assists, and two steals. However, Embiid scored only 11 points on just 2-for-11 shooting after intermission. He also missed all five of his fourth-quarter shots.

The 7-foot-2 center also received a hard blow to the left side of his face in the first quarter. While he remained in the game, Embiid kept touching the area above his left eye in the first half. He refused to speak to the media after the game, and the 30-year-old donned white sunglasses while getting dressed at his locker. Sunday, Embiid emerged from the team’s Manhattan hotel wearing the same sunglasses while hopping in a car service.

A guy wearing sunglasses is not a big deal. But Embiid doesn’t usually wear them while the media is in the locker room. Plus, he has a history of orbital bone fractures.

» READ MORE: Sixers-Knicks takeaways: Disastrous minutes without Joel Embiid, rebounding woes, and more

That led to Nurse being asked if Embiid had fractured his orbital bone.

“Nope,” the coach responded.

Nurse added, “He’s OK.”

What about his knee?

“Uh, pretty good, I think,” Nurse said. “I asked him how he was feeling, he said pretty good.”

But the Sixers must find a way to be better when Embiid is out of the game. It became obvious they would struggle without the seven-time All-Star when they opened the second quarter with him on the bench after he played the entire first quarter.

New York opened the quarter on a 15-6 run to knot the score at 40 before Embiid returned at the 7:11 mark.

“We have to figure out ways to play when he’s off the floor,” Kyle Lowry said. “Play with some pace, play with a little bit more decisiveness. He’s such a dominant force for us and we get comfortable when he’s there. But when he’s not there we have to find ways to get other guys involved, get the ball moving, play with a little bit more energy, and communicate a lot better.”

The Sixers played and struggled a lot without Embiid this season. They were 31-8 in games he played, but 16-27 without him.

» READ MORE: Despite a Game 1 loss, the Sixers showed they are the more talented team. Is that enough?

“We know what our style of play is and what we need to do without him,” Nurse said. “I think we have to make sure as a coaching staff or that I have to make sure that when he is out, that we have the right people in. … I think that applies the other way, too. There are some other guys that kind of fit with him as well. We have to make sure those guys are in when he is in.”

Reserve power forward Nico Batum plays well alongside Embiid. Batum can guard multiple positions and knock down shots while playing off Embiid. And Nurse hinted that the Sixers could have a twin-tower tandem of Embiid and backup center Paul Reed to help limit the Knicks’ offensive rebounds.

The Sixers had success with Embiid and Reed sharing the floor in the second quarter of an April 6 road victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. There was better rim protection and all-around rebounding. The guards were even more aggressive on the perimeter, knowing the middle was secure with the duo. And Reed took some defensive pressure off Embiid.

But Harris has continued to be a nonfactor.

The power forward scored seven points on 3-for-7 shooting, including going 1 of 4 on three-pointers. He did grab a team-high nine rebounds and had two assists.

Yet, he had three points on 1-for-4 shooting through three quarters. A couple of his attempts were bad misses. But he played better in the fourth quarter, scoring four points on 2-for-3 shooting.

Nurse, initially, was at a loss for words when asked how to get Harris more involved.

“You just have to … matter who ... because I don’t …,” he said, “He needs to get involved. Nico needs to get involved. Kelly [Oubre Jr.] needs to get involved. Buddy [Hield] needs to get involved. There’s a lot more people who need to get involved.”

Batum had three points on 1-for-4 shooting. Oubre had 10 points while making 3 of 7 shots. Hield failed to score while missing both of his shots in 10:58 of action in the first playoff game in his eighth NBA season.

“Listen, Buddy didn’t get much of a chance last night,” Nurse said. “He did have a couple of plays there. He didn’t play good. It’s a game where you can’t extend minutes when a guy has three or four mistakes. But I do say this, he will be a factor in this series.

“He could have easily made that wide-open three, and then hit another one the next time down the floor like he does. But he didn’t. We kind of gave him his chance to impact it and we had to get back to somebody else. But he’ll be a factor.”

» READ MORE: Joel Embiid channels Willis Reed in Game 1 loss to the New York Knicks

The lack of production contributed to the Sixers being outscored 42-7 in bench points. Miles “Deuce” McBride made 5 of 7 three-pointers en route to 21 points off the Knicks’ bench. Reserve Bojan Bogdanović added 13 points and made 3 of 6 threes.

Nurse thinks Oubre, the starting small forward, can play a lot better. Saturday marked his 19th playoff game. His first 18 came with the Washington Wizards during the 2017 and 2018 postseasons.

“I don’t think he was nearly the athlete he needed to be last night,” Nurse said. “But he understands that, too. I think both those guys. Kelly has very, very little playoff experience, too. So you can throw him in that boat. He can come along.”

The Sixers hope better play from role players and improved rebounding will enable them to knot the series at 1-1 heading to Thursday’s Game 3 at the Wells Fargo Center.