Player grades: Joel Embiid returns, Sixers top Hawks for 3rd straight win

PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers returned home on Monday to take on the Atlanta Hawks looking to build off their recent success. They had won three of their last four games entering the contest on Monday and they also welcomed back a certain large human back to the lineup.

Joel Embiid returned to the Sixers after missing four games due to a left mid-foot sprain and he had a solid night of 30 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists to lead Philadelphia on the night while making a huge defensive play late to seal it. Due to his efforts, the Sixers were able to walk away with a 104-101 victory for their third straight win.

Tobias Harris had 24 points and 10 rebounds, Shake Milton added 21 points, seven assists, and five rebounds, and Georges Niang had nine off the bench. De’Anthony Melton added nine and five assists.

Here are the player grades following the win:

Shake Milton: A-

Looking to build off the momentum he built over the previous four games, Milton had a tough time getting into any rhythm early. He had a few tough luck misses and he wasn’t able to get into a rhythm on the offensive end. He also had a tough time on the defensive end against Atlanta’s guard combination of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. He was huge in the third quarter, however, as he was playing smart basketball on the offensive end. His contributions helped Philadelphia get back in the game.

De'Anthony Melton: B

Like Milton, Melton was shooting the ball rather well recently, but he had a tough time converting early as the Hawks built a lead. He also did not have the same defensive impact that he normally has. He did bank in a big triple in the fourth quarter as the Sixers went on their run and that seemed to kick him into high gear a bit on the other end.

Tobias Harris: A

After an efficient two games in Orlando, Harris continued his strong play against the Hawks in this one. He made four of his first six shots and he was able to provide some consistent offense for Philadelphia. His efficiency continued into the second quarter as he was really carrying the offense a bit before Embiid got it going. He made timely shots and he really saved the Sixers on the offensive end plenty of times in this one. However, he wasn’t able to find the basket much down the stretch and he had a few bad defensive possessions.

PJ Tucker: C+

It was another night of Tucker doing what Tucker does. He had a few hustle plays and then he bothered Atlanta big man John Collins into some really tough shots on the defensive end. He had a tough time keeping the taller Hawks off the glass, however, and that was a bit of a problem in this one.

Joel Embiid: A+

In his return from a 4-game absence, the big fella predictably started slow. He didn’t have much of a rhythm early and he was relying on the free-throw line to get his points, but he did do a good job of quarterbacking the team a bit on offense telling guys where to go and where to be. He made some excellent passes on the offensive end. Late in the second quarter, he was able to get into a groove as he was attacking the basket rather than settling. A few buckets leading into some terrific rim protection really allowed Embiid to get going in this one. He was huge down the stretch in the fourth quarter to guide Philadelphia to this win.

Georges Niang: B+

Maybe it was tired legs early playing on the second night of a back-to-back, but Niang wasn’t able to knock down many open triples. He made one to end the first quarter to keep the Sixers in it, but after he missed his next couple, he was able to make some big ones in the second half.

Paul Reed: B-

At the start, Reed picked up a hustle bucket off an offensive rebound and he had a few nice plays defensively, but he picked up two early fouls which limited his aggressiveness. He had an offensive foul and then he picked one up on the other end rather quickly. He then had a travel in the second half, but that looked like a Reed call considering his reputation with the officials.

Matisse Thybulle: A-

In his return from a 3-game absence, Thybulle scored quickly late in the second quarter when Embiid found him for a layup. He was a plus-13 in seven minutes on the night as he made a big difference, but one has to wonder if the Sixers were limiting him because of his injury.

Danuel House Jr.: C-

After a strong game in Orlando on Sunday, House Jr. drilled a triple early, but he got lost a few times on the defensive end against Hawks shooter Justin Holiday who made an impact off the bench for Atlanta.

Furkan Korkmaz: C-

This was a night where the Sixers certainly could’ve used Korkmaz’s offense, but he missed some wide-open triples and he wasn’t able to make an impact on the other end of the floor either. The Hawks hunted him on switches and it led to some easy buckets on their end.

Story originally appeared on Sixers Wire