3 observations after George, KJ Martin help Sixers get a gritty win over Magic

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3 observations after George, KJ Martin help Sixers get a gritty win over Magic originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers gritted their teeth and earned a split against the Magic on Friday night in their two-game mini-series.

Paul George and KJ Martin each played central roles in the team’s 102-94 victory at Wells Fargo Center.

George had 21 points and nine assists. KJ Martin posted a season-high 20 points on 9-for-10 shooting.

Franz Wagner scored 30 points for the Magic, who fell to 16-9. The Sixers improved to 6-15.

Centers Joel Embiid (left knee injury management) and Adem Bona (left knee contusion) were out. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said pregame Embiid had done on-court workouts the past few days and that the swelling in his knee was down. Nurse was unsure of what Embiid’s status will be for the Sixers’ upcoming Sunday afternoon game against the Bulls.

Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, Gary Harris and Jonathan Isaac were out with injuries.

Here are observations on the Sixers’ win Friday night over the Magic:

George the go-to guy early

Andre Drummond returned from a right ankle sprain a game ahead of the Sixers’ original projection. He started with Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr., George and Guerschon Yabusele. Jared McCain slid to the second unit.

George scored the game’s first four points with a couple of mid-range jumpers. Right away, it was clear that the Sixers’ offense flowed better and that Maxey didn’t have nearly as much pressure to create everything.

George did commit a bad turnover in his opening stint when he tossed a casual outlet pass. Wagner picked it off and nailed a three-pointer. The worst aspect of the Sixers’ offense early on was their steady stream of turnovers. The team’s eight first-quarter giveaways ranged from Drummond fumbling an on-target pass to McCain getting stripped of the ball from behind.

While George’s presence didn’t get Maxey back into top form, the 24-year-old guard did sink a wide-open three in the first quarter. With that shot, Maxey passed Tobias Harris for fourth place in Sixers history in made threes.

However, Maxey was peripheral for most of…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/3-observations-george-kj-martin-024100747.html

Author : NBC Sports Philadelphia

Publish date : 2024-12-07 02:41:00

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