Quick thoughts: Sixers’ sweep of the Nets gives Joel Embiid plenty time to heal
James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris picked up the scoring load, and Paul Reed grabbed 15 rebounds and was plus-7 while starting in place of Embiid.
NEW YORK — They needed this before Joel Embiid was injured. Afterwards, they might not have been able to live without it. One day after learning that their MVP-contending big man would be sidelined indefinitely with a sprained knee, the Sixers gave themselves plenty of time to recuperate and/or adapt, beating the Nets’ 96-88 in Game 4 to sweep their first round playoff series and give themselves at least a week of rest before a likely second round matchup against the Celtics.
Some quick thoughts on what we saw on Saturday afternoon at the Barclays Center:
1. The Sixers took care of business
This series hasn’t always been pretty, and we’ve seen some things that support the idea that they will struggle to get past Boston in the conference semifinals, but they did what they needed to do. That’s an accomplishment. This was the Sixers’ first four-game sweep during the Embiid era, a testament to their level of talent and toughness compared to previous seasons. We saw that depth on Saturday, when James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris picked up the scoring load, and Paul Reed grabbed 15 rebounds and was plus-7 while starting in place of Embiid.
2. Embiid’s injury remains a big question mark
The sense around the team on Saturday is that Embiid would have missed the rest of the series if it went longer than four games. But Doc Rivers would not give a hint of when he expects his big man to be back on the court. Embiid was diagnosed with a sprained knee after an MRI following the Sixers’ rough-and-tumble win in Game 3 on Thursday. The Sixers should have at least a week of downtime before Game 1 of the conference semifinals, presumably in Boston. They caught a break with the Celtics’ loss to the Hawks on Friday night, a development that ensures the series will not end before Tuesday. The assumption is that the next round will not begin before next Saturday, giving Embiid a full seven days — at minimum — for his knee to heal.
» READ MORE: Doc Rivers unsure how much time Joel Embiid will miss with knee sprain
3. Even if Embiid is ready to start the semis, how limited will he be?
Two years ago against the Hawks, we saw him dominate in Games 1 and 2 five days after injuring his knee against the Wizards. That said, the Hawks were not nearly as physical as the Celtics. All you need to know about Embiid’s importance is how many players it took to replace him. In addition to Reed’s presence in the starting lineup, the Sixers gave Montrezl Harrell and Shake Milton their first minutes of the postseason. At times, it felt like they were missing three players instead of one.
4. Harris can be easy to overlook, but the Sixers needed him Saturday
With Harden struggling to finish at the rim and Maxey playing probably his least effective game of the series, Harris scored 25 points, grabbed 12, rebounds and consistently offered a steadying presence as the Sixers climbed back from an eight-point halftime deficit. Harden missed eight of his nine attempts at the rim and show just 2-for-13 from the paint.