Hornets Star Acknowledges ‘Unbelievable’ Joel Embiid Showing

There wasn’t much belief in the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night. Not only are they struggling to collect wins this season, but they are currently missing some key players as injuries have affected them throughout the year.

With Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers coming in to face them, the Hornets were major underdogs on Friday. Four quarters later, everybody, including the Hornets, found out exactly why.

For the third-straight season, Sixers center Joel Embiid is on his way to becoming an MVP finalist. As the race winds down, the big man has reached another level of play, which was on full display in Charlotte on Friday night.

Following a dominant double-digit Sixers win, Charlotte star Gordon Hayward pointed to Philadelphia’s big man, considering him a primary reason why the Sixers did what they were able to accomplish on Friday.

“He was unbelievable,” Hayward said in regards to Embiid. “He’s been unbelievable all year, but it’s tough; I mean, they present a lot of challenges with him and (James) Harden, especially in the pick-and-roll. And then we’re doubling him, and they’re swinging it around and hitting shots.”

As a team, the Sixers shot 50 percent from the field on Friday. While they didn’t light it up from beyond the arc, they were efficient enough all over the floor to keep piling on the points. Then down on the other end, the Sixers made life difficult for Charlotte’s offense.

“We’re playing against a set defense, and they’re also good on that end as well,” Hayward continued. “So it was a tough one obviously for us, but credit to them, they’re rolling right now. They’re playing well.”

Overall, Embiid’s night was fantastic on Friday. Offensively, he knocked down 16 of his 21 shots from the field and went 6-7 from the free throw line. He finished the game with 38 points in just 29 minutes of action. Then on the defensive end, Embiid was the anchor for Philadelphia. He came down with 13 rebounds and blocked four shots.

With a win on Friday, the Sixers made it seven in a row. They’ll head into their Saturday night matchup against the Indiana Pacers with a 47-22 record.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

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