Joel Embiid leads 76ers to inspiring win over Hawks: ‘He demands greatness out of all of us’

The 76ers’ victory in Atlanta against a growing Hawks team had Joel Embiid ringing the bell.

Philadelphia posted a 98-96 win despite being 10 points behind with less than 10 minutes remaining. The Hawks came into this contest having won eight of their last nine with the league’s second-best offense during that stretch. Plus, this was Philadelphia’s first win in nearly a month since beating the Bulls on November 7.

Since that victory, the team has fallen to a 3-9 record in 12 games. Both Embiid and Tobias Harris missed an extended time during that period after testing positive for COVID-19.

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So it’s no wonder Embiid was excited.

The 76ers changed this game with their defense, restricting the Hawks to just nine points in the fourth quarter while scoring 20 themselves.

In his fourth game since returning from COVID-19, Embiid played all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter and was responsible for seven of the team’s last 12 points.

The big man’s final numbers of 28 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocks were huge for a 76ers team that prepared for this game without Harris, who missed this one due to a non-COVID illness, which is his ninth. lost game (out of a possible 17) since November 1.

With Embiid back in full swing averaging 24.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.3 blocks since his return, the 76ers will be looking to use this victory statement against the Hawks to turn their season around and start racking up wins as they have. early in the season when they started 8-2.

“It is intense. You can see it in his eyes ” Embiid’s teammate Georges Niang said after the game. “He wants to win so much. He demands greatness from all of us, and he also demands greatness from himself.”

That said, it won’t be easy. Heading into December, the 76ers have the second-toughest schedule of the month in the Eastern Conference and the third-toughest overall based on their opponent’s winning percentage, according to NBA.com’s John Schuhmann.

Here’s a look at their upcoming schedule:

Currently ranked ninth in the East with a 12-11 record, only time will tell how the 76ers fare in the games ahead.