Joel Embiid

After being ejected from Sunday's 117-96 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers following two technical fouls due to an altercation with Joel Embiid, Washington Wizards big man Montrezl Harrell had some choice words for the Philly big man.

"Stand on your toughness, bro," Harrell said after the game. "If you're so tough and you're so, you know, stand on that, my dude."

Late in the third quarter, with the Sixers leading 80-64, Embiid and Harrell got into a skirmish and had to be separated. Embiid caught a pass from Georges Niang and bumped Harrell to the ground. Harrell then got up and fouled Embiid hard as he went in for a basket before the two grabbed each other's shoulders. They were pulled apart by teammates.

In regard to Harrell's second technical foul, which forced his ejection, Embiid told reporters after the game that he essentially taunted him into it.

"I wouldn't say I baited him into that (second tech) but I like to think that I'm a troll," Embiid said. "I like to think I kind of made him get out of his comfort zone, and that got him kicked out."

Embiid added: "Basketball is also mental. You got to be able to get in your opposition's heads, and that's what I did."

Embiid got the last laugh, too, as he finished with 36 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. Harrell had 15 points, four rebounds and three assists before being tossed from the game.

Despite Sunday's ejection, Harrell is having an impressive season for the Wizards. He entered having averaged 14.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 64.7 percent from the floor in 32 games. He'll likely be nominated for the Sixth Man of the Year award, though there's still plenty of time left in the season.

The Wizards haven't beaten the Sixers since December 2019, so things were bound to get heated between the two sides. However, Harrell was a member of the Los Angeles Clippers at the time and didn't join the Wizards until an offseason trade from the Los Angeles Lakers.  

In a matchup of teams decimated by injuries and COVID-19 absences, the Philadelphia 76ers managed to come away with a much-needed win.

Led by Joel Embiid's strong evening, the Sixers (16-15) defeated the Boston Celtics 108-103 on Monday night, snapping a three-game losing streak.

Embiid was unstoppable in the waning moments, scoring Philly's final nine points.

As for the Celtics (15-16), they've now lost six of their past nine matchups.

More than a few unfamiliar faces had to make appearances in this one, with both teams coming into the game extremely short-handed.

The Sixers, who had to have Sunday's scheduled matchup versus the New Orleans Pelicans postponed because of an inability to field more than eight players, were without Tyrese Maxey (left quad contusion), Furkan Korkmaz (non-COVID illness), Jaden Springer (concussion protocols), a trio of players in the COVID-19 health and safety protocols (Shake Milton, Andre Drummond and Georges Niang) and Ben Simmons (wants to be traded).

The Celtics, meanwhile, were missing Grant Williams, Brodric Thomas, Jabari Parker, Juancho Hernangomez, Sam Hauser, Al Horford and Josh Richardson to the health and safety protocols, along with Robert Williams (personal reasons).

Such is the current reality of the NBA as the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sixers were able to overcome their depth issues Monday.

Key Stats

Joel Embiid, PHI: 41 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four blocks, two steals

Seth Curry, PHI: 26 points, seven assists

Tobias Harris, PHI: 25 points, seven rebounds

Jaylen Brown, BOS: 30 points, five rebounds

Jayson Tatum, BOS: 17 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two steals

Marcus Smart, BOS: 15 points, six rebounds

Joel Embiid Is a Force

With Williams and Horford unavailable for Boston, the Celtics didn't have many great options for slowing down Embiid outside of sending double-teams his way.

And boy, did it show.

For all of the Sixers' various woes this year, from the Simmons drama to health concerns across the roster, one thing has been a constant—when Embiid is healthy, he's an absolute force.

One of his evolutions as a player is his ability to serve as a playmaker out of the post:

Staying healthy remains his biggest hurdle. But the Celtics didn't have many answers for him Monday night.

The Sixers needed every last point from Embiid, Harris and Curry, with an inexperienced bench offering them just one point in Boston.

Jaylen Brown Paced the Balanced Celtics

With both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown drawing the smothering defensive coverage of Matisse Thybulle at points, the question became which player would be able to lead the offense. Brown provided the answer.

While he didn't exactly post the most efficient numbers (9-of-22 from the field, 3-of-9 from three) he managed to get to the line 10 times, making nine, and continued to attack, hitting several daggers from deep.

That led the way for a balance offensive night from Boston's starters, who all scored double-digit points except for Dennis Schroder (eight points). But despite that and Payton Pritchard's hot shooting in the second half—he scored 14 points in total off the bench—the Celtics dropped one on the road.

What's Next?

The Celtics will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, while the Sixers will host the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers called a timeout in the final seconds of Thursday's 114-105 loss to the Brooklyn Nets to alert the officials they didn't call a single foul against the Nets in the fourth quarter.

"They needed to see that," Rivers told reporters afterward, adding he was particularly frustrated with the lack of whistles when All-Star center Joel Embiid had the ball.

"I thought Joel got fouled the last three post possessions, and-ones, and none was called," he said. "I don't know how a team can play the fourth quarter of a game where we're driving the ball and posting the ball and they have zero fouls. It's hard to play a quarter in the NBA and commit no fouls. Very surprised by that."

While Brooklyn played the final 12 minutes without a foul, the Sixers were whistled eight times in the fourth quarter. Only one of those came late in the game after the result was out of reach.

That's a large disparity in a game that was still hanging in the balance with two minutes to play. Embiid said he understood his coach's frustration.

"I mean, they're the home team," Embiid said. "I thought we got fouled a few times, especially down there. But, I mean, it's frustrating when they're calling fouls for the other teams down there and you don't get any. I can see what he was talking about."

It marked the third straight loss for the 76ers, which dropped to 15-15. They've been struggling to remain competitive recently while putting together makeshift lineups.

Tyrese Maxey (quad injury), Furkan Korkmaz (illness) and Georges Niang (COVID protocols) all missed the matchup with the Nets. Ben Simmons has yet to play this season while focusing on his mental health.

Rivers noted that at some point all of the absences create too many issues to overcome, especially for a squad with limited size.

"Listen, we got to get right," he told reporters. "We got to get everybody back. We played a game tonight without a point guard, and with one power forward. We're just so small. We are in general. We're a small basketball team."

The big-picture outlook for Philadelphia is still promising, especially if the long-awaited Simmons trade is eventually finalized to bring in another impact player or two, but the team is going through a period of uncertainty that won't end until the roster is back to full strength.

In the short term, Rivers' group will look to get back in the win column Sunday night when they welcome the struggling New Orleans Pelicans (9-21) to the Wells Fargo Center.

The Brooklyn Nets extended their winning streak to four games with a 114-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night at Barclays Center. 

Brooklyn improved to 21-8 to maintain its first-place status in the Eastern Conference. The Nets have been particularly impressive of late, winning seven of their last 10 games. 

Thursday's win over the Sixers was even more impressive because the Nets were without seven players, including James Harden and Bruce Brown, because of COVID-19 protocols. 

Notable Stats

Kevin Durant, PF, BKN: 34 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST, 1 BLK

Joel Embiid, C, PHI: 32 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL

Nic Claxton, PF, BKN: 17 PTS, 2 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK

Seth Curry, SG, PHI: 29 PTS, 3 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL

Blake Griffin, PF, BKN: 17 PTS, 9 REB, 2 AST

Kevin Durant Leads the Way

Durant will always be the star of the show for the Nets, but his performance Thursday was even more important because of how short-handed the team was.

The 33-year-old was effective from the get-go, putting up 10 points, six rebounds and two assists in the first quarter, which led all players.

Durant didn't slow down in the second quarter, either, adding five points, three rebounds, three assists and one block.

After halftime, the four-time scoring champion added 19 points, two rebounds and three assists to help the Nets maintain the lead and grab the win.

It was also Durant's fourth straight game with 30-plus points, and it should be mentioned that he entered Thursday's contest averaging 36.9 minutes per night, the most time on the court he's seen since the 2013-14 season.

Durant played 39 minutes against the Sixers. If he played one more minute, it would have been his third straight game of at least 40 minutes. 

Durant's play also helped several other players shine, including Nic Claxton and rookie Cam Thomas. Claxton finished with 17 points, two rebounds, two steals and two blocks, while Thomas finished with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists off the bench.

It's unclear when the Nets will get the remainder of their roster back, but with Durant playing some of his best basketball, he should be able to keep the team afloat until they return.

Joel Embiid's Effort Not Enough

Embiid did a little bit of everything against the Nets on Thursday, and he did so without the help of Tyrese Maxey, who was ruled out with a left quad contusion.

The 27-year-old kicked things off with just four points, three rebounds and three assists in the first quarter before picking it up in the second frame and closing the half with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal.

Embiid continued to have his way in the second half, tacking on 18 points, four rebounds and two assists. However, his performance wasn't enough as the Sixers failed to get much out of anyone else besides Seth Curry, who finished with 29 points, three rebounds, four assists and one steal.

Tobias Harris, Danny Green and Shake Milton, who all started for Philadelphia, combined for just 32 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. In addition, the team's performance off the bench was disappointing, as Andre Drummond, Matisse Thybulle and Isaiah Joe failed to make an impact, combining for just 12 points.

In comparison, Brooklyn's starters aside from Durant combined for 54 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists, while the team's bench combined for 26 points, 17 rebounds and six assists. 

The Sixers' poor play and inconsistency continue to haunt them this year. Embiid can't carry the burden night in and night out, and the team needs to do something to get him some help—whether it be trading Ben Simmons, who has yet to play this year, or acquiring an impact player or two at the trade deadline.

What's Next?

The Nets will host the Orlando Magic on Saturday, while the Sixers will return home to host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. 

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is ready to make the case for one of his teammates as the NBA Defensive Player of the Year after Saturday's game against the Golden State Warriors.

Speaking to reporters following the Sixers' 102-93 victory, Embiid said Matisse Thybulle is the best perimeter defender in the league has what it takes to win the award based on his work guarding Stephen Curry. 

Curry finished the game with just 18 points on 6-of-20 shooting. He made three of 14 attempts from three-point range. 

It's probably not a coincidence that Curry's one hot streak during the game came when Thybulle wasn't guarding him. 

The Warriors star scored nine points in the final 1:45 of the second quarter when Thybulle was on the bench. He made two of his three three-point shots during that stretch. 

Per ESPN Stats & Info, Thybulle held Curry to 2-of-13 shooting and blocked two of shots as his primary defender:

Curry entered Saturday's game averaging 27.5 points per game and shooting 41.3 percent from three-point range. His 21.4 percent success rate from behind the arc against the Sixers ties his second-worst percentage in a game this season.   

Thybulle's defense was his calling card coming into the NBA. The University of Washington alum is one of two players to win the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award multiple times. (Warriors guard Gary Payton II was the first to do it in 2014-15 and 2015-16.)

Now in his third NBA season, Thybulle has carried that defensive ability into the pros. The 24-year-old was named to the All-Defensive second team last season. 

Per Lauren Rosen of Sixers.com, Thybulle became the 26th player in NBA history to make the All-Defensive team within his first two seasons. 

If Thybulle continues to play at the level he did against Curry, it will certainly be hard to keep him out of the discussion for the Defensive Player of the Year award.     

The Philadelphia 76ers scored their biggest win of the season with a 102-93 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Philadelphia came into this game still searching for a level of consistency this season. The Sixers were coming off a 22-point home loss to the Utah Jazz. They lost 10 of their past 16 games after starting the season 8-2.

The Warriors have been cruising all season, but they are starting to show some signs of vulnerability. They are 3-3 in their past six games after starting the year 18-2.

Stephen Curry's pursuit of the all-time three-point record will continue after a rough night. The two-time NBA MVP finished with just 18 points on 6-of-20 shooting. Jordan Poole was the Warriors' best scoring option with a team-high 23 points in 37 minutes. 

Philadelphia got the win thanks to a 32-20 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter. Depth hasn't been an asset for head coach Doc Rivers this season, but he got quality contributions from his starters and bench. 

The Sixers had five players finish with at least 10 points, including four starters. Joel Embiid made all 11 of his free-throw attempts and led all scorers with 26 points. 

Notable Game Stats

• Joel Embiid (PHI): 26 points (7-of-16 FG), 9 rebounds, 4 assists
• Tobias Harris (PHI): 16 points (4-of-9 FG), 9 rebounds
• Tyrese Maxey (PHI): 14 points (5-of-10 FG), 2 assists, 2 blocks
• Stephen Curry (GS): 18 points (6-of-20 FG), 9 rebounds, 5 assists
• Jordan Poole (GS): 23 points (7-of-14 FG), 3 rebounds, 2 assists
• Andrew Wiggins (GS): 20 points (8-of-14 FG), 4 rebounds, 4 assists

Second-Half Surge Carries Sixers to Marquee Win

This was exactly the kind of game that the 76ers needed. Very few things have looked easy for them up to this point in the season, but they have somehow made it work. 

Doc Rivers' squad came out of the gate playing exactly the kind of game it needed to against the Warriors. They were in control of the pace, points were difficult to come by and both teams had to fight for every bucket. 

Curry's 10-point outburst late in the second quarter appeared to open the dam for Golden State. That momentum carried over after halftime, with the Warriors going on a 22-12 run to start the period. 

One very encouraging sign for the 76ers is their comeback was sparked by the non-Embiid starters and the bench. Matisse Thybulle started it with a three-pointer assisted by Tobias Harris. 

Furkan Korkmaz's only bucket of the game was a corner three late in the third got the Sixers to within three at 73-70. 

Georges Niang tied the game with a three of his own. Thybulle's second three of the game put the Sixers on top 81-78. They wouldn't relinquish the lead from that point. 

Seth Curry had a huge bucket with 5:40 left to play in regulation that made it four-point advantage. 

Another encouraging sign was how Tyrese Maxey performed on a night when he didn't have his best stuff. The second-year guard showed no fear attacking the basket with Draymond Green in front of him to extend the lead back to eight points. 

Thybulle's defense continues to be huge for Philadelphia. He did a fantastic job when he was the primary defender on Curry:

When the Sixers were getting back into the game, it wasn't because Embiid took over. His first points in the fourth quarter didn't come until there was 5:04 still to play. 

Embiid was able to make his presence felt from that point on. He scored nine of their final 15 points. 

Rivers and his coaching staff are still in the process of figuring out what starting combination gives the 76ers their best chance to win. Maxey is growing into a solid starter at point guard in place of Ben Simmons. 

As long as the defense is able to keep forcing opponents to take bad shots, they don't have to lead the league in scoring to be good. They were able to do that against a Warriors team that came into the day tied with the Phoenix Suns for the NBA's best record.    

Warriors Can't Find Answers on Offense in Loss

While so much of the focus has understandably been on Curry and his pursuit of the NBA's all-time three-point record, Saturday's game was a showcase for what happens to the offense when he's not on point. 

Wiggins, who was primarily guarded by Seth Curry, had no problems winning his matchup for the first three quarters. He hit the 20-point mark for the second time in three games. 

As Curry kept trying to shoot himself out of a slump, though, Wiggins faded down the stretch when things got out of hand. He only attempted one field goal and didn't score in the fourth quarter. 

Poole had another fantastic performance in what has been a breakout season. The 22-year-old has posted back-to-back 20-point games for the first time since Nov. 19-21. 

Head coach Steve Kerr could have a good problem on his hands when Klay Thompson can return. Poole's rise to prominence this season takes a lot of pressure off the five-time All-Star needing to make an instant impact to lift the Warriors. 

On a night when most of the Warriors lineup was struggling to find their shot, including Curry, Wiggins and Poole kept the game close until the end. 

Curry did have one of his patented scoring runs late in the first half that looked like it might open the game up for the Warriors. 

That poor shooting luck did prove costly in the second half. Golden State led by as many as 13 points midway through the third quarter, but the offense managed just two points over the final 4:55 in the period that cut the advantage to just three going into the fourth. 

Things didn't turn around over the final 12 minutes. Philadelphia opened the fourth quarter on a 21-10 run to open up an eight-point advantage with 4:37 left to play. 

Coming out of a timeout with possession of the ball, Poole turned it over when he was called for palming. After the defense forced a turnover of its own, Wiggins missed a wide-open three.     

This game was a reminder that as good as the Warriors can be, they are still going to be moments when their offensive rhythm gets disrupted. Against a quality opponent, they didn't have any answers to fix things. 

The Warriors only shot 40 percent from the field and made 12 of 48 attempts from three-point range. It's their second straight game struggling behind the arc. They went 14-of-46 on Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers, but still won by 10 points. 

That luck didn't continue against a Philadelphia team that is much better on the defensive end of the court. 

It's not time to panic for the Warriors, but these bad shooting performances are worth monitoring. If it keeps up, they could fall back to the pack in the Western Conference after a hot start.     

What's Next?

The Warriors will continue their Eastern Conference road trip Monday at 7 p.m. ET against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The 76ers will play the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday at 8 p.m. ET at FedExForum.

Donovan Mitchell finally cooled off some on Thursday night. No biggie—the rest of the Utah Jazz picked up the slack. 

Led by eight players scoring double-digit points, the Jazz beat the Philadelphia 76ers 118-96.

Mitchell came into the game en fuego, with 30 or more points in four straight games. While he couldn't keep that streak going, he and the Jazz outdueled Sixers superstar center Joel Embiid, who has been excellent since returning from a three-week COVID-19 absence in mid-November but left Thursday's game late in the third quarter with abdominal pain.

By the time he returned with just over nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Sixers found themselves in a 16-point hole, a deficit they wouldn't overcome.

The result bumped the Jazz up to 18-7 on the season, while Philly fell to 14-12. 

Key Stats

Donovan Mitchell, Utah: 22 points, six assists

Rudy Gobert, Utah: 17 points, 21 rebounds, two blocks

Mike Conley, Utah: 10 points, four assists

Joel Embiid, PHI: 19 points, nine rebounds, three steals

Tobias Harris, PHI: 17 points, seven rebounds

Seth Curry, PHI: 18 points, four assists

The Sixers Can't Seem To Catch A Break

Ben Simmons wants to be traded and hasn't played a game for the team thus far this season. Countless players have missed time due to injuries or the NBA's health and safety protocols. Both Tyrese Maxey and Embiid temporarily left Thursday's game with knocks. 

The Sixers have struggled to maintain any positive momentum this season given all of those adversities, and in many ways the loss to the Jazz felt like a microcosm of their season as a whole. 

Granted, it didn't help that they shot 6-of-33 (18.2 percent) from three.

So long as they have Embiid, the Sixers are a threat. But their margin for error is razor-thin, especially while the Simmons ordeal remains unresolved. Against the league's top teams like the Jazz, that becomes more obvious.

Utah's Balance And Depth Continues To Be A Strength

Joe Ingles, Rudy Gay, Jordan Clarkson and Hassan Whiteside came off the bench and combined for 46 points. Utah held a 48-31 advantage in bench points. Four starters scored in double digits.

You don't need Mitchell to play like a superhero when the supporting cast shows up like that. 

While the Sixers struggled to hit their perimeter shots, the Jazz finished 15-of-40 (37.5 percent) from deep. They played excellent team basketball, with 22 assists. This was quality, efficient basketball, the type coaches love.

The Jazz's lack of a second true superstar next to Mitchell tends to hurt them come the postseason. But there's no doubt that their depth and balance make them a threat to compete for the top seed yet again. 

What's Next?

Utah travels to Washington, D.C., to face the Wizards on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, while the Sixers host the Golden State Warriors that same day at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.