The 76ers had a lot going on Monday night.
Joel Embiid missed the matchup against Portland Trail Blazers due to a scheduled rest day. Tobias Harris was also out due to being placed in the NBA COVID-19 health and safety protocols just before the game. Then Danny Green left the third quarter with left hamstring tightness. And it was a matchup that featured Portland’s Damian Lillard, who’s on top of the Sixers’ wish list in a potential trade for disgruntled point guard Ben Simmons.
In the end, the Sixers prevailed, 113-103, at the Wells Fargo Center. With the win, the Sixers (5-2) extended their winning streak to three games. The Blazers (3-4) lost their second straight game.
The undermanned Sixers were on good hands thanks in large part to Andre Drummond and Georges Niang, this summer’s free-agent additions.
Drummond finished with a double-double while starting in place of Embiid. He had season highs of 14 points, 7 assists, and 5 steals to go with a game-high 15 rebounds. Meanwhile, Niang finished with a season-high 21 points as the sixth man. Sixteen of his points came after intermission.
In all, the Sixers had six double-digit scorers. Seth Curry had a game-high 23 points. Furkan Korkmaz (15), Danny Green (11), and Tyrese Maxey (10) were the others. Korkmaz started in place of Harris.
Lillard had 20 points, 10 assists, and 7 assists but had another rough shooting night (7-for-20).
Drummond and Niang big nights
The Sixers signed signed the 6-foot-10, 280-pound Drummond to a one-year veteran minimum salary contract in August. The Sixers knew that was a steal and noted the two-time All-Star was far from a minimum-salary talent.
It didn’t take long for Drummond to show that against the Blazers.
Dominating the glass, he compiled eight of his rebounds in the first quarter. He ended up recording his first double-double since finishing with 15 points and 12 rebounds with the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of last season’s first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns.
But he did much more than just rebound the ball, with his assists and steals.
Meanwhile, Niang kept making timely plays.
Two of his biggest came after the Blazers tied the score at 86 early in the fourth quarter. The power forward responded by scoring on a layup while being fouled by Anfernee Simmons on the ensuing possession. Niang then hit the foul shot on the three-point play to give the Sixers a three-point cushion with 10 minutes, 46 seconds left.
Twenty-four seconds later, Niang grabbed a defensive rebound, dribbled up court and assisted on Shake Milton’s layup to make it a 91-86 game.
He shot 7-for-16 from the field to go with season highs of five rebounds and five assists. Sixers fans chanted “MVP! ... MVP! ... MVP!” when Niang made a pair of foul shots to give the Sixers a 104-96 lead with 5:15 left.
Lillard Love
Niang was the only player who received positive chants while at the foul line in the fourth quarter.
Some of the Sixers fans chanted, “We want Lillard! ... We want Lillard!” as the Blazers point guard converted a three-point play to close the gap to 104-101 with 4:01 left.
But the crowd showed him love from the beginning. He received a loud ovation during the Blazers introductions with no boos. Then there was a fan yelled “Dame, we love you” several times in the third quarter.
Lillard has struggled this from three-point range. This game was no exception with him shooting 2-for-9 from three. His teammates C.J. McCollum finished with 20 points and four rebounds.
Like Lillard, McCollum has been mentioned as potential target in a Simmons trade. But on this night, the Sixers handed the standouts a loss.
“They’re tough,” Sixers coach Doc Rivers said of Lillard and McCollum. “They’re really good. They’re smart. They’re savvy. They can play with their eyes closed with each other. They just know how to play with each other by now.
“They’re not only scorers, but they’re playmakers as well. Both of them.”
It’s rarity these days in the NBA to have two guards who can make players for themselves and everyone else.
In addition to being tough, they’re on the top of the wish list of Sixers fans for a potential trade for disgruntled point guard Ben Simmons.
Next Up
The four-game homestand concludes Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls before the Sixers travel to Detroit to face the Pistons on Thursday. The Sixers will conclude the two-game road trip on Saturday vs. the Bulls at the United Center.
