Joel Embiid does his best 'Bill Russell' impression in 76ers' win

PHILADELPHIA — As Joel Embiid missed shot after shot throughout the first half of Thursday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Wells Fargo Center — ultimately finishing 1-for-8 in the first quarter and 2-for-14 through the first half — he knew that if he was going to have his usual impact on events, it was going to have to mean increased production at the defensive end of the court.

«For me, like I always say, defense is more important for me than offense,» Embiid said. «Even tonight, I could not make any shots, especially the one I usually make. But, defensively, I thought I had to be Bill Russell tonight, to be able to kind of balance it out.»

Embiid's final stat line Thursday night — 27 points, 19 rebounds, 6 assists, a steal and 6 blocks in 38 minutes — was the kind of line the Boston Celtics legend would've been proud of, as he and James Harden (31 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists) helped power Philadelphia back from a 17-point deficit to beat the Grizzlies 110-105 in front of a raucous sellout crowd.

Despite trailing for virtually the entire game, Philadelphia slowly but surely ground its way back into the game. And Embiid's performance — at both ends — was emblematic of the way the game played out for the 76ers as a whole.

Embiid's 1-for-8 showing in the first quarter was tied for the worst he's ever shot in a quarter in his career on at least that many attempts, while his 2-for-14 performance in the first half was tied for the most shots he's ever missed in a half in his NBA career.

But Embiid — who was not listed on the injury report for the first time in several weeks, after repeatedly being listed as questionable with left foot soreness in the weeks leading up to the All-Star Break — was an absolute menace