Sixers takeaways: Joel Embiid’s motivated play, Tyrese Maxey’s missed free throws and more in loss to Hawks
Joel Embiid was motivated in his first game in 22 days.
Just when you think the 76ers need more from Tyrese Maxey, the point guard shows why he’s been one of the NBA’s best players of the early season. But his missed free throws in overtime and his team’s lack of rebounding in double overtime were costly.
Yet, 10 days of rest were good for VJ Edgecombe’s body.
And Atlanta Hawks coach Quin Snyder is a big fan of Dominick Barlow.
Those things stood out in the Sixers’ 142-134 double-overtime loss to the Hawks Sunday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Embiid motivated in his first game back
Embiid usually looks rusty in his first game back from injury.
That was far from the case after he missed the past nine games. This time, he looked good physically and was aggressive.
The 7-foot-2, 280-pounder put his imprint on the game from the start, scoring the first basket 35 seconds into the contest. He later assisted on a Barlow layup that gave the Sixers a 7-4 advantage. Then Embiid added two points on a pair of foul shots to extend the Sixers’ early lead to five points.
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Embiid scored those points and had that assist along with a rebound while logging 6 minutes, 1 second in the first quarter. He finished with 18 points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and a block in a season-high 30 minutes.
Embiid could have been more involved as a rebounder. He’s still rarely jumping on defense, and his lateral isn’t what it used to be. But effort-wise, this was one of his best first games back after an extended break.
He sat out the Sixers’ previous eight games because of right knee injury management or soreness. Before that, Embiid missed the Sixers’ 111-108 home loss to the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 9 because he doesn’t play on back-to-back nights to rest his left knee. The former league MVP has already missed 12 of the Sixers’ 18 games because of his knee ailments.
More needed from Maxey until …
Quentin Grimes showed why he’s a legitimate candidate to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. He finished with 28 points on 8-for-15 shooting, including making 4 of 8 three-pointers – to go with 10 rebounds and four assists. Grimes also made all eight of his free throws.
But for a while, his performance couldn’t make up for what was trending to be the worst night of the season for Maxey.
The Hawks’ primary defenders did a solid job of defending the standout point guard. He finished with a game-high 44 points on just 14 of 31 shooting. That included missing 11 of his 13 three-point attempts. Maxey did make 14 of 17 foul shots to go with seven rebounds and nine assists.
However, Maxey had just 20 points on 4-for-12 shooting –including making just 1 of 7 threes through three quarters.
Give Maxey credit. He kept battling and scored 12 points in the fourth quarter on 4-for-9 shooting. His three-point play pulled the Sixers within three points (108-105) with 3:11 left.
Then Maxey drained a three-pointer with 8.8 seconds left to knot the score at 115, forcing overtime.
Maxey went on to score four points in the extra session. However, he missed a pair of foul shots that would have given the Sixers a four-point cushion with 4.6 remaining.
After the Hawks forced another overtime, Maxey scored all eight of his team’s points. However, with Embiid and reserve center Andre Drummond out of the game, the Sixers’ small-ball lineup struggled on the boards.
The Hawks won the rebounding game 7-2 in overtime, which enabled them to score seven second-chance points.
But those missed foul shots are something Maxey won’t soon forget.
Well-rested rookie
Edgecombe was back in the starting lineup after missing the past three games with a left calf strain. The rookie shooting guard finished with seven points on 3-for-6 shooting, along with two rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 21:25.
But the biggest takeaway was that he played with his trademark bounce and explosion that had been missing in a few games leading up to his injury. Back then, the 20-year-old looked fatigued from what had been an overwhelming amount of games to start the season.
Barlow’s admiration
Back on July 30, 2024, Barlow signed a two-way contract with the Atlanta Hawks. While he was only with the Hawks for one season, it’s evident that the power forward left a lasting impression on Snyder.
“He really knows how to play,” Sndyer said. “And he gave us, in a stretch where we really needed someone to come in and not only give us good minutes, but kind of connect as a team. And I think it’s unusual for a player in [a two-way] position to have that kind of impact on the group.
“So I’m really happy to see him doing well. And I’m not surprised … He’s got a great feel for the game, can pass, handle, just a smart player. Very committed to helping the team in any way he can.”
Barlow averaged 4.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 35 games with four starts last season for the Hawks. He had his two-way contract converted to a standard deal on March 4.
However, Barlow left the Hawks in the offseason after they fired former general manager Landry Fields. Betting on himself, he signed a two-way deal with the Sixers on July 9. And he’s been one of their most impactful players.
The 6-9, 215-pounder made his seventh start of the season on Sunday. He finished with 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks. The 22-year-old came into the game averaging career highs of 7.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.1 steals through nine games.
