Player grades: Knicks use team effort to hand Joel Embiid, Sixers road loss

NEW YORK–The Philadelphia 76ers were looking to carry their road success into Madison Square Garden on Sunday evening as they took on the pesky New York Knicks. The Sixers entered the contest winning eight consecutive road games and they were looking to keep things moving in the right direction.

The Sixers raced out to a 21-point lead in the early going as their offense was humming and playing with pace. However, the Knicks stormed back against Philadelphia’s all-bench unit in both the second quarter and the fourth quarter which led to them taking the rhythm out of whatever the Sixers did early in order to build their lead. In the end, New York walked away with a 108-97 victory to hand the Sixers a rare road loss.

Joel Embiid had 31 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Sixers. James Harden had 12 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds, Tobias Harris had 14 and 10 rebounds, and PJ Tucker added 10. De’Anthony Melton poured in 14 points and Tyrese Maxey had 12 off the bench.

Here are the player grades after the loss:

James Harden: A-

In order to get the Sixers off to a nice start on the offensive end, Harden was pushing the ball up the floor and getting his teammates involved. He had seven assists in the opening quarter as he masterfully was running things on the offensive end and New York had no clue how to handle any of it as Philadelphia built its lead. Whenever the Knicks looked like they were gaining some control and they were going to get a handle on things, Harden ran the pick-and-roll with Embiid and they were able to get themselves a bucket off of it. Considering how close this loss was, it would’ve been nice to get more offense from him, but overall, he was very good.

De'Anthony Melton: B+

A big component of Philadelphia’s hot start was Melton knocking down three triples in the opening quarter. He was a big beneficiary of Harden’s playmaking as The Beard continued to find him for open shots from beyond the arc. Overall, Melton was able to play some solid defense and make an impact on offense which is what Philadelphia needs from him.

Tobias Harris: A-

This was an overall good run for Harris. He was taking advantage of the open looks he received, he used his size and strength to get to the free-throw line, and he was also able to help out on the glass. He was very good defensively and provided a little bit of everything for the Sixers. He also made some timely shots which allowed the Sixers to stay in front.

PJ Tucker: A

The veteran had a terrific start. Thanks to the playmaking of Harden, Tucker was able to get himself an open triple in the corner and he was able to get himself some easy looks at the basket by just being available for Harden’s dump-off passes. He had seven points in the opening quarter, alone which got him off to the good start. Along with the offensive production, Tucker made some of those hustle plays to give Philadelphia an edge when needed.

Joel Embiid: A

With Mitchell Robinson sidelined for New York, the Knicks didn’t have anybody to really defend Embiid and match up with him. The big fella dominated early in the paint and he was getting to the free-throw line just as he did in the Christmas Day matchup between these two teams. On the night, New York had no clue how to best defend him and he was constantly at the line. He also was terrific on the defensive end. Without him on the floor, the Sixers completely fell apart and it’s something that will have to be corrected. He does get some criticism for the lack of rebounding down the stretch that doomed the Sixers.

Tyrese Maxey: C+

Quickly, Maxey was able to get himself some easy buckets. That is a continued good sign for him as he works his way through the season, but again, he wasn’t great on the defensive end. He lost Evan Fournier on a triple and he was getting beat off the dribble often. The offense is great and that will be such a nice weapon in the playoffs, but his defense continues to be an issue and it limits what Philadelphia can get out of him.

Georges Niang: F

The Minivan had a few open opportunities for triples, but he missed them both in his initial stint. He also had a tough time defending. The Knicks took advantage of the all-bench unit for the Sixers as they worked their way back into the game after being down by 21 early. The second-half run wasn’t great either as he missed his open triples and the Knicks seized control when the all-bench unit was in.

Matisse Thybulle: C-

The initial run for Thybulle wasn’t great as he was a part of that unit that struggled to get a stop against New York, but he was helpful in his second run. After re-entering the game in the second quarter, he helped the Sixers regain control of this one a bit. On a night when the bench unit as a whole was awful, Thybulle was at least helpful on defense.

Shake Milton: D-

Milton wasn’t able to get his early shot opportunities to fall and he also had his own issues on the defensive end. The bench unit as a whole had a really tough night. He got a bucket in the second half, but he also had more defensive struggles.

Montrezl Harrell: F

The minutes for Harrell were not great. Just gonna leave it at that.

Paul Reed: D+

With Harrell struggling in his initial stint, the Sixers gave Reed a chance in the second quarter. He got himself a quick bucket off the pick-and-roll with Harden which is a good sign for him as he continues to find his role on this team. Overall, though, there were still a few plays that were head scratchers and it showed that he still has a long way to go.

Story originally appeared on Sixers Wire