Sixers Notes: Lowry, Oubre, Barlow, Embiid
Kyle Lowry didn’t see any playing time Sunday night as he made possibly the final Toronto appearance of his long NBA career, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Lowry is still a beloved figure in the city, where he spent nine years and helped the Raptors win their only NBA title. But the Sixers guard has moved into a player-coach role in his 20th NBA season, logging 43 total minutes in five appearances. Head coach Nick Nurse refers to him a “middle man” who serves as a liaison between the coaching staff and the other players.
“Sometimes, I try to talk to those guys as a coach,” Lowry said of his younger teammates, especially Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. “As a player, I wish I could say certain things or say, ‘Do this or do that.’ It’s that balance of I know I’m not on the court, so I can’t yell at them or curse at them. But I can say, ‘Hey, here are the things I see. Let’s try to do that.’”
It’s an unexpected role for Lowry, who was known for his hyper-competitive approach to the game during his prime, Koreen adds. But the wisdom he gathered during his two decades in the league and the influence of other players have prepared him to be a mentor.
“Throughout my career I had the opportunity to be around a guy like Fred VanVleet,” Lowry added. “That kind of (told me), ‘Why not try to continue to do that and help a guy like Tyrese Maxey.’ And then, you get fortunate enough and they draft a guy like VJ. You got two young guys. And Jared McCain. Sometimes, the game gives you something you have to do.”
There’s more on the Sixers:
- Kelly Oubre Jr. shot a combined 1-of-9 from the field in his first two games after returning from a long injury absence, but he rediscovered his scoring touch on Sunday, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer notes in a subscriber-only story. He contributed 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting while setting season highs with four steals and three blocks. “It definitely felt good,” Oubre said. “It’s just, I think I could be better. I got blocked because I’m not trusting myself and the work that I put in. So you know, just watching film, continue to just show up every day and get better. That’s all I can do. But it definitely felt good to get some run.”
- Oubre and Dominick Barlow were both in the starting lineup on Sunday because Paul George was a late scratch with left knee soreness, but Nurse will eventually face a difficult lineup decision, Pompey states in a mailbag column. Although it’s a close call, Pompey suggests the team is better with Barlow starting because that means George doesn’t have to play power forward and it’s easier for him to defend on the perimeter.
- Joel Embiid has an interesting case for an All-Star spot, Pompey adds in the same piece. Embiid has only appeared in 19 of the team’s 37 games — and was held out Sunday for left knee injury management and left groin soreness — but he’s been outstanding when he does play and his scoring average of 23.5 PPG tops all Eastern Conference centers. Embiid offered his opinion after Friday’s game, telling reporters, “Am I going to make it? I think I should. I don’t think we’re pushing it enough. I think I got pretty good stats. So, maybe you guys should put the word out that Joel Embiid is back.”
Sixers Notes: Healthy Starters, Embiid, Maxey, Edgecombe
Improved health is turning the Sixers into a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. During a three-game road winning streak that moved Philadelphia to within three games of second place, the biggest news surrounding the team is that Joel Embiid and Paul George were both in the starting lineup for all three contests. They’re pairing with the explosive backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe to make the Sixers a difficult challenge for opposing defenses.
“For three games, we have had the same players in our starting lineup,” coach Nick Nurse said. “For three games, we have started the same five people. I don’t think I’ve been able to say that very much, since I’ve been here. You guys (the reporters) would have to go and check your notes on that. It’s been good to finally have some continuity.”
The most significant development is the health of Embiid, who is showing flashes of his MVP form in recent games. He posted 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in Saturday’s win at New York and is proving that he’s still among the NBA’s best centers. Jones notes that he’s also figuring out how to benefit from playing with the team’s high-scoring guards after that relationship looked “clunky” earlier in the season.
“I’m just super happy to see Joel and Tyrese and PG on the floor and healthy,” Edgecombe said. “I’m super happy, man. It’s like the little kid in me, playing alongside the superstars that I watched growing up. Yeah, man, this is great.”
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- Embiid’s performance on Saturday included his first dunk of the season, which is a sign that his troublesome right knee could be feeling better, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Embiid was nonchalant about the achievement, but his teammates were excited. “I was so happy,” Maxey said. “So now, it’s my fault because the play before, I dropped him off a pass, thinking he wasn’t going to dunk it. Now he’s telling me to throw him a lob. So I’m going to throw him a lob, and we’re going to see how that goes.”
- Maxey’s scoring numbers have made him a contender for first-team All-NBA honors, but Nurse is equally impressed by his improved defense, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Maxey ranks fourth in the league in steals at 1.8 per game and has already blocked 28 shots, which is five away from his single-season career high. “He’s been much better this year, I think the whole way,” Nurse said. “I think you’d agree that he’s into the ball, he’s over screens, getting his share of pick-sixes, getting his share of turnovers. So he’s been really alert on that end of the floor, I think all season. He just keeps getting better.”
- There was some debate heading into the draft about who the Sixers should take with the No. 3 pick, but Edgecombe is showing they made the right choice, Pompey adds in the same piece. The rookie guard is proving there’s a lot more to his game than the highlights he displayed at Baylor. “He’s been awesome,” Nurse said. “I think just, again, the composure. I think that he has it just so steady out there. He plays like a 10-year vet with his composure. He just kind of keeps making plays. He does a little bit of everything, which is great.”
Sixers Notes: Oubre, Power Forward, Grimes, Embiid
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said earlier this week that forward Kelly Oubre Jr., who has been sidelined since November 14 due to a sprained left knee, could return to action during the team’s current road trip. That trip will wrap up on Saturday in New York, and Oubre’s chances of playing against the Knicks may hinge on whether he can take part in a five-on-five scrimmage on Friday, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Oubre participated in a three-on-three scrimmage on Monday and a four-on-four session on Wednesday, Pompey notes. If he plays five-on-five and his body responds well, his return should be imminent, though the 30-year-old declined to speculate on that subject, indicating he’s leaving the decision up to the experts.
“I’m just going off what the trainers and the docs say,” Oubre said. “So for me, I don’t feel any pain, any shortness after workouts, and things like that, which is a good sign. So I take that as a positive and just continue to build from there and get stronger. But I’m leaving it to the docs and the trainers.”
While the 76ers have been hit hard by injuries over the past year-and-a-half, they’re close to getting fully healthy, with both Oubre and Trendon Watford (adductor) in the final stage of their respective recovery processes.
Here’s more on the Sixers:
- Even when Oubre returns, Nurse says he envisions Paul George “mostly” as a three, according to Pompey. So who will handle the primary power forward duties? Nurse suggested he may take a committee approach to the position. “I think it’s Paul. I think it’s (Dominick) Barlow. Could be a little Oubre. Could be a little (Adem) Bona,” the Sixers’ coach said. “But I think it just depends on who we’re playing. Hopefully, we can be versatile enough to figure out what we are doing in all those different lineups. That’s what’s going to take some time.”
- Quentin Grimes averaged 11.8 shot attempts per game in his first 24 outings of the season, but that numbers has dipped to 7.5 per game in his past six contests. As long as Joel Embiid, George, and Tyrese Maxey are healthy and available, that trend may continue, but Grimes can continue to provide value with his defensive effort and by making the most of the opportunities he does get on offense, Pompey writes for The Inquirer. “He’s kind of a good wild card for us,” Maxey said of Grimes. “He can get hot. He can make threes. He can drive the ball. He can play defensively, too. That’s what’s really good for us. He can play with a lot of lineups too.”
- While Embiid’s offensive production has increased as of late – he has averaged 29.2 points per game in his past six starts – the former MVP says he believes his improving health is more evident on the other end of the court, per Pompey. “Physically, where I felt most (like myself) is defensively,” Embiid explained. “I’m getting back to that level of (protecting the rim), blocking shots and being that defensive presence.”
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Maxey, George, Beauchamp, Oubre
The Sixers are counting on Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George to be their team leaders, but they haven’t been on the court together long enough to build any kind of chemistry, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Friday’s game against Chicago marked just the fourth time this season that all three players have been available. They each turned in fine individual performances, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 109-102 loss that gave them an 0-4 record in those games.
“I’d like to see them have 10, or 15, or 20 games together,” coach Nick Nurse said. “I think the issue here is that there have been so many injuries that there just hasn’t been enough time for them to get onto the floor together.”
Jones points out that the Sixers have to determine how they’re going to run the offense when Embiid, Maxey and George are on the floor at the same time. Embiid has been an offensive force throughout his career whose production has only been limited by his frequent injury issues. However, Maxey is one of the NBA’s top scorers this season at 30.8 PPG, and giving the ball to Embiid to operate in the post limits Maxey’s opportunities.
Jones adds that the Sixers were successful early in the season because they played at a fast pace with Maxey and rookie guard VJ Edgecombe leading the attack. Once Embiid began to play more regularly, the offense slowed down and that weapon was taken away.
“What’s tough is that we haven’t been able to have much practice time with all three of us on the floor,” Maxey said. “And that’s something we need to deal with because the games are different. They are much different. We missed a lot of shots that we know we should have made. Those things happen. But we have to figure it out, quick.”
There’s more on the Sixers:
- Embiid is coming off one of his best games of the season with 31 points and five rebounds in 32 minutes at Chicago. However, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer observes in a subscriber-only story that Embiid’s movement was limited due to pain in his right knee. Pompey believes the Bulls repeatedly targeted Embiid on defense, although Nurse disagreed. “I don’t know about that,” Nurse said. “I got to look at that first (on film). I thought he had some really good possessions by him defensively. But let me look at the film first before I comment. I don’t think that.”
- MarJon Beauchamp, who signed a two-way contract on Friday, feels fortunate that his latest NBA opportunity is coming with the Sixers, Pompey states in a separate story. “Guys are injured,” Beauchamp said. “I feel like I can help the team with my length, my defensive abilities, and my shooting abilities. I shot well in the G League this year. I feel like I can bring a lot to the team, and just my young energy, and bring good energy around the team. So I just feel like it’s a great opportunity.”
- Kelly Oubre Jr., who has been sidelined with a left knee ligament sprain since November 14, is getting “much closer” to returning, Jones tweets. Oubre was heavily involved in individual work at Saturday’s practice, Jones adds, focusing on starting and stopping and changing direction at full speed.
Sixers Notes: Walker, Edgecombe, Embiid, Barlow
Head coach Nick Nurse stuck with the same five players through the entire fourth quarter Saturday night in the Sixers‘ win over Dallas, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Reserve Jared McCain joined Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in a three-guard lineup alongside backup big men Jabari Walker and Adem Bona. That group held the Mavericks to 30.4% shooting from the field in the final 12 minutes to reclaim control of a game that appeared to be slipping away in the third quarter.
Maxey had 16 points in the closing quarter, and Nurse believed all three guards were having a positive impact. He was also confident in the contributions he was getting from Walker and Bona.
“As far as the two bigs, I felt Jabari was playing (Cooper) Flagg super physical,” Nurse said. “And the other thing, we started doing some switching between the four and five. Jabari also would get switched onto (Anthony) Davis and was playing him physically to get him off the block and battle him. I don’t know how many rebounds Jabari got. But it sure seems like he snatched a bunch of them down there, that was also critical.”
Walker pulled down six of his eight rebounds in the fourth quarter while playing effective defense on Flagg, helping to hold the star rookie to four points in the quarter on 2-of-6 shooting. Walker, who has been a valuable contributor after signing a two-way contract during the summer, credited “a great scout report” for the defensive effort against Flagg.
“I think (Dominick Barlow) started off on him. Big credit to him,” Walker said. “He had a great night tonight, also. I want to show him some love with that. I think either one of us could have finished the game. We both understand that about each other. So, some games it is going to be (like that). So I just tried to feed off the energy he had tonight.”
There’s more on the Sixers:
- Saturday’s game featured two of the top selections in June’s draft, with Edgecombe (26 points, six rebounds, four assists), who was chosen at No. 3, slightly outperforming the top pick Flagg (24 points, four rebounds, three assists). Nurse marveled at the ability of both players to be able to contribute right away, Pompey states in the same piece. “The rookies that have impacted in a big way is really something,” he said. “Especially considering those two guys are really young. I guess they’re really good. I think most rookies, you will see flashes. You will see one great game, then six go by. These guys are starting to do it like night in, night out. And to me, that’s like what the NBA is.”
- Joel Embiid sat out both weekend games due to right knee injury management and an illness, Pompey adds. He’s now up to 16 missed games for the season and will almost certainly fall short of the 65-game requirement to qualify for postseason awards. “He just didn’t have a great week with the illness and a little bit of soreness in the right knee,” Nurse said. “And fortunately, we can get through the week and … get another couple of days, and hopefully get him going.”
- Barlow, another two-way offseason addition, was more aggressive than usual in attacking the basket against Dallas, observes Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (subscription required). The fourth-year forward finished with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting, taking advantage of his matchup with Klay Thompson and the Mavs’ defensive focus on Maxey. “If he’s scoring the ball the way he does, they’re gonna over-help on that. Or if they’re switching they’re not gonna worry as much about me as they are him, and that makes a lot of sense,” Barlow explained. “Just being aggressive on that, to make them where they have to respect me, guarding the ball, knowing that I will do that (drive), will make his life easier.”
Injury Notes: Poeltl, Barrett, Dante, Sixers, Bradley, Brown
Raptors center Jakob Poeltl, who has been dealing with a back issue this season, will miss a second straight game on Saturday as Toronto hosts the Celtics, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
“We have a long-term plan for him,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said, “which consists of managing this injury and which consists of building his strength, which consists of him playing through a certain level of discomfort.
“But we’re not concerned at all. It’s just something that we are dealing (with) in the middle of the season. If we were in the offseason and you shut him down for two weeks, he would be completely fine, but it’s something we’re really trying to manage day to day. At this point, it’s not to that point that we just need to shut him down. It’s not that serious.”
Meanwhile, Raptors forward RJ Barrett will miss a 12th consecutive game on Saturday due to his right knee sprain, but he’s making progress toward a return. According to Grange (Twitter link), Barrett has resumed on-court activities. The plan is for him to do live work against coaches in the coming days, then participate in practice and scrimmage with teammates.
Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:
- Hawks center N’Faly Dante may have sustained a serious knee injury while playing in the G League for the College Park Skyhawks on Friday. According to John Hollinger (Bluesky links), Dante was in significant pain after awkwardly twisting his right knee following a rebound and had to be carried off the court. It was the big man’s first game since he entered the concussion protocol on December 2, tweets Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com.
- Sixers center Joel Embiid (illness and right knee injury management) will miss a second consecutive game on Saturday vs. Dallas, while forward Paul George (left knee injury management) has also been ruled out, tweets Marc Stein. George hasn’t played both ends of a back-to-back set yet this season, so his absence comes as no surprise after he suited up for Friday’s win over New York.
- Pacers center Tony Bradley suffered a fracture on the tip of his thumb, according to head coach Rick Carlisle, who referred to the thumb as “partially functional” with a splint on it, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter links). While it sounds like Bradley will remain active, the decision to sign James Wiseman to a 10-day contract was directly related to that injury, Carlisle said (Twitter link via Dopirak). While Wiseman will give the team some additional depth, he’s probably not in NBA game shape quite yet, Carlisle admitted.
- The Celtics will be without top scorer Jaylen Brown when they take on the Raptors on Saturday night. Brown, who played in 26 of Boston’s first 27 games, has been ruled out due to an illness, per the team (Twitter link).
Sixers Notes: George, Embiid, Maxey, Oubre
Paul George turned in his best game of the season — and one of his best since signing with the Sixers in the summer of 2024 — in Sunday’s loss at Atlanta, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). George didn’t seem to be bothered by the left knee issue that forced him to miss the first 12 games of the season as he went 7-of-10 from three-point range on his way to a 35-point night.
“I’m getting more and more comfortable within the system, within the offense,” he said. “At that point, now, I can kind of just be myself. Just allow the game to come to me, find my moment. And be aggressive in those.”
Injuries limited George to 41 games last season, which played a major role in Philadelphia’s collapse. The decision to give him a four-year, $211.6MM contract at age 34 was widely questioned, but now he’s hoping to change the perception of that deal.
“Last year was a lot going on,” he said. “I was just trying to patch up stuff. This year, I’m a lot healthier. I’m able. I feel like I can play my game. I feel like I can be myself. There’s still some things that got to come back. I’m not all the way 100 (percent). But I’m more myself than I was last year. So that’s the positive that I can take. And everything else is, with time, I’m just going to continue to get better.”
There’s more on the Sixers:
- After playing both Friday and Sunday, Joel Embiid said he needs less time between games to prepare his knees, Pompey adds in the same piece. Earlier in the season, he required at least two full days off between games, but the knee pain has eased and he was able to perform effectively on Sunday, finishing with 22 points, a season-high 14 rebounds and two blocked shots. “I feel OK,” Embiid said. “I was a little tired out there. But I feel good. I’ll take it. I came out pretty good either way. So I’ll take it. Obviously, I would have felt better if we got the win. But that didn’t happen. … We’ll see how it feels tomorrow. But it was good things.”
- Philadelphia played its second straight game without Tyrese Maxey, who is sidelined due to an illness, Pompey states in a separate story. There’s hope that Maxey, who ranks third in the scoring race at 31.5 PPG, will return for Friday’s contest at New York. “We’re concerned because he’s sick, and he wasn’t well enough to get on the floor here for a couple of games,” coach Nick Nurse said. “After Friday’s game, we thought he’d be at the plane to come with us but didn’t make it. I talked to him last night, and he said he’d see me at practice Tuesday. I said, ‘I’m not sure we’re practicing Tuesday, but I’ll be there. Me and you, man. I’ll see you there.’”
- Kelly Oubre Jr. was reevaluated last week for the left knee ligament sprain that has sidelined him since November 14, but Nurse didn’t have an update on his condition, Pompey adds in a mailbag column. Oubre was able to do his first on-court individualized workout since the injury before Sunday’s game, but he hasn’t been cleared for practice yet. “Nothing new,” Nurse said. “He’s out there walking around a bit. He’s on the court a bit. I’m hoping there’s some. … It looks like there’s some progress there. And just like you, I want him out there ASAP and then back.”
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, George, Martin, Wolf, Demin
Joel Embiid has produced well below his career rates for most of the season, but he flashed his former Most Valuable Player form on Friday, pouring in 39 points in the Sixers‘ 10-point win over Indiana.
“He’s worked at it,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said, per Tony Jones of The Athletic. “The practices this week have helped. His own individual work away from practice has helped. I think him being able to do all of that is a great sign that he’s starting to feel good. I have always said that he’s best when he’s driving. I think he drove a lot to draw fouls early. The best thing was his variety. The 39 points were great, but they came with him scoring through a lot of different schemes. He read the different stuff most of the night, pretty good.”
Friday’s game was the Sixers first in five days, and Embiid believes his knees have held up better when he has more time in between appearances.
“I feel good,” Embiid said. “I’ve been able to be consistent, and that’s the big thing. I’ve been able to do the same thing over and over again this week and not have to take a break. I’ve talked about this before, but the plan of having me play a game and then having two days off seems to be working. So, I’ve been able to get on the court and do a lot of work.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Nurse has increasingly used Paul George as a point forward, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. George has racked up 13 assists over the last three games. “I’m comfortable with the ball,” George said. “I think more than anything, it’s just continue to prove to myself and remain confident as I continue to trust my body and gain confidence on the floor that my body can still produce. So it’s just adding to the confidence, and just chipping away at the work put into this season so far to get ready for this season.”
- Earlier this week, Raptors two-way player Alijah Martin is the G League’s most recent Player of the Week, per the NBA (Twitter link). Martin averaged 26.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in three Raptors 905 wins. This year’s No. 39 overall pick has appeared in just two games with the NBA team.
- Nets rookie big man Danny Wolf had 17 points and seven rebounds in a loss to Dallas on Friday. He’s averaging 13.5 PPG in his last six outings. Wolf benefited from a stint in the G League, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “When he had the opportunity to play with Long Island, he took advantage of his minutes,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “And now that he’s in the rotation, he’s taking advantage of his minutes. So I’m very happy with him. He’s a special player because at his size he can do so many different things. And still trying to figure it out because he’s showing me what he’s capable of doing. He’s capable of doing a lot of things — good things.”
- Another Nets rookie, Egor Demin, only played two-plus minutes in the fourth quarter on Friday as the team fell apart in crunch time, Lewis notes. “He was trying to fix mistakes by trying to make things happen. And this is not how you want to do things,” Fernandez said. “I need him to play with better readiness and better physicality. And this is not the way that the team needs him to play. So, he’s got to be better. Otherwise, the minutes are going to go down, and somebody else will take advantage. I know he cares; he’s always responded and punched back. So, he’s way better than what he performed.”
Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey Ruled Out Friday Due To Illness
5:33 pm: Embiid will be active and Quentin Grimes will start in place of Maxey, according to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).
5:11 pm: Sixers star Tyrese Maxey will miss his first game of the 2025/26 season on Friday against Indiana, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic.
Maxey, who was initially listed as probable before being downgraded to questionable and then out, is dealing with an unspecified illness.
A 25-year-old guard, Maxey is having an outstanding sixth season for Philadelphia, averaging career highs of 31.5 points, 7.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds while leading the league with 39.9 minutes per game. He’s also contributing 1.7 SPG and 0.9 BPG, with a strong shooting slash line of .467/.391/.881 in 23 appearances.
Former league MVP Joel Embiid is probable for tonight’s matchup with the Pacers due to left knee injury recovery, per the NBA’s official injury report.
Embiid, a seven-time All-Star, missed nine consecutive games last month due to right knee soreness. He has played in three of five contests since returning, and while his athleticism and production have declined, the 31-year-old center is still able to get to the spots he wants to on offense, according to Jones.
For his part, Embiid says he’s been feeling good lately and is optimistic he’ll be able to play more minutes going forward, though the team is still carefully managing his workload — he hasn’t been cleared to play two games in three nights, let alone back-to-backs, Jones notes.
“I think it’s all about getting into that rhythm and playing every other day,” Embiid said. “I think we’re getting there. The plan of playing and then two days off is working pretty well. Hopefully, that keeps going and we can start doing it every other day. But, I’m feeling pretty good.”
Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Sixers, Kolek, Hukporti
With the streaking Celtics having climbed to the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference on the strength of five consecutive wins and Jayson Tatum doing 1-on-1 work, head coach Joe Mazzulla was asked on Wednesday when conversations might begin in earnest about the possibility of the star forward returning from his Achilles tear in the coming months.
“It’s all up to him,” Mazzulla said, per Jay King of The Athletic. “At the end of the day, his health is the most important thing, his process is the most important thing. You trust him, trust the team that’s around him — he’s got a great team — and then you just kind of go from there. So it kind of just all starts (with) where him and his team think he’s at.”
While Tatum will certainly be involved in the decision on if and when he returns to the court this season, it’s not his to make alone. The Celtics’ front office and medical team, as well as Tatum’s own doctors, will be involved in determining what that plan looks like.
Mazzulla made it clear that he’s not spending much time thinking about whether or not he’ll get Tatum back in his lineup later in the season, since he appreciates the way the 27-year-old is contributing to the team even without playing in games.
“To me, the only thing I care about is his presence and his leadership, and he’s given that in different ways — on the bench for games, communicating with guys, in film sessions, traveling with us,” Mazzulla said. “At the end of the day, he’s on our team. He’s a part of our team. He’s helping us get better, and then everything else just comes down to him and the people around him, and you just trust that.”
We have more from around the Atlantic:
- The Sixers need more from their centers, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who notes that Joel Embiid went 4-for-21 from the floor in Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, while Andre Drummond was a -15 in 18 minutes despite registering a double-double (11 points, 12 rebounds). Both big men struggled defensively against the Lakers’ duo of Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes, who combined to make all eight of their shot attempts, Pompey adds.
- Knicks reserve guard Tyler Kolek didn’t get off the bench during the team’s NBA Cup quarterfinal loss last season, but he used his share of the prize money to buy his mother a car, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. This time around, Kolek – who has appeared in 10 consecutive games for New York – should play a more active role in determining how far the Knicks advance. He was a +13 in less than eight minutes on the court in Tuesday’s quarterfinal victory over the Raptors. Asked if his mom will be getting another car this Christmas using his NBA Cup prize money, Kolek replied, “Nope, my dad wants the next one.”
- Ariel Hukporti‘s speed could be his path to an increased role with the Knicks, according to Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News, (subscription required) who notes that head coach Mike Brown referred to Hukporti as “one of the fastest bigs I’ve ever been around.” Hukporti, who has had a limited role this fall, logged a season-high 23 minutes in Sunday’s win over Orlando, but played just 73 seconds on Tuesday vs. Toronto and was assigned to the G League on Wednesday (Twitter link).