NBA 2018-19: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Philadelphia 76ers, 3 Talking Points

#2 Joel Embiid didn't show up the way he was supposed to

Embiid had just two points on one field-goal attempt in the first quarter.

Embiid scored 24 points and grabbed 14 boards, but was not as dominant in the post as we are accustomed to seeing.

The Cavaliers did a good job of defending him in the paint and restricted him to just 13 field-goal attempts (he's averaging 19.4 FG attempts on the season). They trapped him inside and pestered him. The double-teaming on Joel forced him to turn the ball over or give it up on more occasions than one.

Using his versatility to just about counter any defensive scheme, Embiid resorted to outside shots in the second quarter, draining two three-point shots. He was 2-4 from beyond the arc when the game ended and 8-13 from the field.

Although he dropped a team-high 24 points, Embiid took just three shots in the paint. That goes to show that other teams should also follow the Cavs' example and adopt more frequent double teams, given how dominant he's been inside.