Sixers’ Joel Embiid Displays Efficient Shooting in All-Star Game
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Although he wasn’t originally a starter for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid found himself bumped up to the starter’s pool as an injury replacement. And when team captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo started picking from the crop of starters available, Embiid was the first pick for Team LeBron.
The Sixers’ big man appeared in a starting five alongside Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and LeBron James. Coming off the bench was Paul George, De’Aaron Fox, Julius Randle, Anthony Edwards, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Embiid initially questioned the thought of playing in this year’s All-Star game. As he’s been battling foot soreness for the last few weeks, the big man mentioned on numerous occasions that getting some rest would be beneficial. Therefore, he wouldn’t commit to playing in the days leading up to the game.
On Sunday, Embiid arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, and suited up for Team LeBron. He would check into the game for a little under 28 minutes.
In the first quarter, Embiid was perfect from the field. During his five-minute shift, he knocked down all three of his shots from the field, logging six points. In the second quarter, Embiid led his team with a total of seven shots from the field, with four of his attempts coming from beyond the arc.
While Embiid struggled from deep in the second quarter, missing all but one of his threes, he knocked down three of his shots inside the arc, leading Team LeBron with nine points in the second quarter. At the end of the first half, Embiid had 15 points in 11 minutes.
Coming out in the second half, Embiid was on fire from the field. He chucked up seven shots in eight minutes during the third quarter and missed just one of his attempts. After struggling from three in the first half, Embiid made all three of his deep shots in the third quarter. He collected 15 points to add to his total.
When it came to the fourth quarter, Embiid didn’t get involved much on offense. He was one of two starters to log minutes in the final quarter, checking in for a little over eight minutes alongside Kyrie Irving. They were surrounded by reserves Julius Randle, Jaylen Brown, and Tyrese Haliburton.
In the fourth quarter, Embiid attempted two shots and scored two points. By adding two more points to his total, he finished the night with 32 points in 27 minutes. Along with his scoring, Embiid came down with seven rebounds while blocking a shot and snatching a steal. He also produced four assists.
Per usual, the All-Star game didn’t feature strong defense, but Embiid’s efficient shot-making was on full display. With 19 attempts from the field, the Sixers’ big man made 74 percent of his shots. As a squad, Team LeBron averaged 60 percent from the field.
In the end, Team Giannis defeated Team LeBron 184-175.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
