Player grades: Joel Embiid, Sixers fall to Magic in critical NBA Cup loss

Posted by Admin November 16, 2024 NBA

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ORLANDO, Fla. — The Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to the Orlando Magic on Friday night looking to earn a big NBA Cup victory and start the road trip off on the right foot. With Joel Embiid and Paul George back on the floor, the Sixers felt confident about their chances.

The Sixers used a steady dose of Embiid as well as rookie Jared McCain who stayed in the starting lineup, but Philadelphia was unable to come away with a win. The Magic scrapped their way to a 98-86 victory as the Sixers are now 0-2 in group play for the NBA Cup. Their chances of advancing are slim at this stage of the in-season tournament.

Embiid had 20 points and eight rebounds, McCain had 29 and four assists before fouling out, and Paul George had 13 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. added five off the bench and Guerschon Yabusele had four.

Here are the player grades following the loss:

Kyle Lowry: C

The veteran had some tough moments on the defensive end, but he was very good offensively. He used his savviness and toughness to get to the basket and finish some really tough baskets over Orlando’s bigs. Overall, not a hugely impactful game, but Lowry had his moments. He provided some toughness in this one.

Jared McCain: A

The Magic showed some major respect to McCain early when they stuck their best perimeter defender, Jalen Suggs, on him. After some early struggles, the rookie shook it off and was able to get something going to the basket in the second quarter with a couple of layups and he initiated some offense as a ball-handler. He also knocked down a triple off a defensive miscue by the Magic. He was huge in the third quarter when he befuddled Orlando with his off-ball movement and his hustle. He was fantastic for Philadelphia all night long and should keep his starting spot going forward.

Paul George: C-plus

It was a miserable start for George. The star forward shot 0-for-6 in the first quarter as he had a tough time trying to get going against this Magic defensive attack. He missed his first eight shots overall before finally getting a triple to fall in the second quarter. That allowed him to get going a bit and give the Sixers some help on the offensive end. He found ways to contribute and knocked down some looks as the game wore on. On a positive note, he and Embiid seemed to have something good going in the pick-and-roll game.

Caleb Martin: B-minus

It wasn’t the best game for Martin in terms of numbers, but his defensive work was exemplary. He was up at the point of attack and he was in the right spots to challenge every look by the Magic. The steals weren’t there as in previous games, but he was strong on that end all night long. He hit an open triple in the third quarter which is what the Sixers ask of him on the offensive end of the floor. Shooting, spacing, and cutting are his roles on offense. He did that to a T in this one.

Joel Embiid: B-minus

The big fella appeared to be moving much better in this one compared to his season debut. He attacked Magic big man Goga Bitadze and used his size and strength to earn himself some easy buckets as well as get to the line. He looked spry on the defensive end as well coming up with some big blocked shots. He looked like his usual self on offense as he was aggressive getting to the basket, drawing fouls, knocking down tough jumpers, and talking trash to anybody who could hear it. With that being said, he seemed to run out of gas after halftime. He had 16 points in the first half and had a tough time finding a rhythm in the second half. He didn’t seem to have the same lift on his jumper or on the defensive end after halftime.

Kelly Oubre Jr.: B

Being moved to the bench, Oubre entered the contest and gave the Sixers an immediate boost with his offense. He showed off his basketball IQ when he cut to the basket and was able to get himself a dunk off a pass from George. He followed that up with a triple and was active on the defensive end.

Guerschon Yabusele: B-plus

Yabusele gave the Sixers some excellent minutes off the bench. He used his size and ability to score off the dribble to get some looks at the basket and finish through contact to get some easy looks. He offers a good fit next to Embiid in his minutes due to his shooting ability and being able to get to the basket off the dribble.

Eric Gordon: C-plus

The veteran is still looking to really find his niche off the bench, but Gordon had some good moments in this one. He got to the basket almost with ease and did a good job of being able to get himself some open looks. There were some defensive issues, but he was solid overall.

Andre Drummond: Incomplete

Getting his first run in the second quarter, Drummond was rusty to start as he’s battling an illness. He had a tough time finishing his first couple of looks at the basket as Magic big man Jonathan Isaac made a difference there defending the basket. However, he was helpful on the glass and shook off the slow start to get a bucket. He didn’t play after a 4-minute stint.

Jeff Dowtin Jr.: Incomplete

The Sixers turned back to Dowtin to be the backup point guard and he did not do much in his initial stint. He struggled on the defensive end against Orlando’s guards and had a tough time getting the Sixers into much offense against a tough Magic defense. He didn’t get a look after four minutes of action.