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The Portland Trail Blazers-Philadelphia 76ers game on Thursday provided one of the more shocking results of the NBA season.
Without both Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, the Trail Blazers defeated the 76ers by double digits, 121-105.
Before the game, there were questions regarding how the Portland Trail Blazers would register points without their two primary scorers. Well, Gary Trent Jr. and Carmelo Anthony stepped up and combined for 46 points while tallying seven three-pointers.
The Philadelphia 76ers, on the other hand, played against the Charlotte Hornets just yesterday and had to travel back home for the game tonight. In a game without Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid had a game-high 37 points, followed by Tyrese Maxey, who had 15.
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Joel Embiid catches fire in the second quarter
Joel Embiid continues to play at an MVP level for the Philadelphia 76ers. Tonight, he dropped 31 points in the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers. However, in the first quarter, he suffered a lower-body injury after coming down awkwardly from a successful block.
It was a scary moment for all Philadelphia 76ers fans as Embiid has had multiple injury issues in his young career. Thankfully, the big man returned to the sidelines after about three minutes and came back into the game with just over one minute left in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Joel Embiid let the whole world know he was okay, scoring 25 of the Philadelphia 76er's 29 second-quarter points to tie the game heading into the break at 57.
Here is how Twitter reacted to Joel Embiid's first 24 minutes:
The Philadelphia 76ers are still in first place in the Eastern Conference standings, despite the loss. This game, however, showed how important Ben Simmons is to the team. Even though he does not always score many points, his defensive presence and playmaking ability are unmatched.
If Joel Embiid can remain healthy for the whole season and continue his inside dominance, he and Ben Simmions will be a matchup problem for nearly every team in the league.
The Portland Trail Blazers run away with it in the second half
The Portland Trail Blazers got out to a lead early in the second half and never looked back.
They received production from every player on their roster tonight. Of the nine players who earned playing time, eight scored, and six of them had over ten points.
Here is how Twitter reacted to the Portland Trail Blazers' impressive second half:
Carmelo Anthony had a vintage performance against the Philadelphia 76ers tonight. The jab-step pull up was hitting all night. He scored a season-high 22 points on 57.1% shooting.
Here is how Twitter reacted to the 10x All-Star's performance:
The Portland Trail Blazers have struggled with injuries early in this NBA season, but they have come together and remained competitive in a challenging Western Conference.
The Portland Trail Blazers are currently fifth in the standings, and if they can get all their pieces back come playoff time, they will be a tough opponent against whoever they are matched up against.
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Trail Blazers Nation! You can check out the latest Portland Trail Blazers Schedule and dive into the Trail Blazers Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.
