INDIANAPOLIS — The Philadelphia 76ers were able to knock off the Indiana Pacers 114-109 on Wednesday night behind a big performance from their stars. Joel Embiid, specifically, was able to pour in 21 points and 11 rebounds while playing 38:33 against Indiana on the road.
It’s a great sign to see Embiid be able to play that many minutes in the early part of the season. He played 11:49 in the fourth quarter and looked strong as the game wore on. It’s great that the Sixers were able to get that production out of him, but on the flip side, in the month of October, they should probably limit how many minutes the big fella is able to contribute.
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“I feel great,” Embiid beamed after the win. “But obviously, to be able to get where we need to and where we want to, we got to manage those a little bit.”
The 2023 MVP winner is coming off a season in which he was limited to 38 games due to the bothersome knee as well as other ailments. As Philadelphia continues to piece things together, it should keep in mind that Embiid has worked his way back from those issues and has worked hard to be in the best position possible to help them succeed, but nearly 40 minutes in the fifth game of the season isn’t the best option at the moment.
“I feel pretty good,” Embiid added. “It doesn’t mean every game should be about 40 minutes because…that’s not gonna last, but I feel great. But whatever I’m asked of, I’m gonna do it. Like I said earlier, it’s all up to God. Whatever happens, happens. Just deal with each day and take it day by day.”
Coach Nick Nurse is well aware that Embiid probably shouldn’t play that much, but on the flip side, the Sixers are going to be fighting with the Pacers for playoff positioning throughout the season. It’s important to pick up wins like that in order to earn an edge in the season series.
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“I look at him and everyone’s probably on target,” Nurse said of Embiid’s minutes. “He’s been too high, but, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get the win, and hopefully we can iron that out and smooth that out a bit in upcoming games.”
The Sixers will open up NBA Cup play on Friday against the New York Knicks.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers’ Joel Embiid talks playing large amount of minutes vs. Pacers
