Okafor gets a surprise start as Embiid-less Sixers fall to Wizards
WASHINGTON - After he saw no action in four games, the 76ers decided to start Jahlil Okafor at center on Saturday night.
WASHINGTON - After he saw no action in four games, the 76ers decided to start Jahlil Okafor at center on Saturday night.
Even more surprising was that Sixers coach Brett Brown would not commit to Nerlens Noel's regaining his spot as Joel Embiid's backup.
Okafor got the start in a 109-93 loss to the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center, as Embiid had a scheduled off day because it was the team's second game in two nights.
The Sixers, who defeated the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, are managing Embiid's workload. They believe that not having him play on back-to-back nights lessens the stress on his surgically repaired right foot.
But without him, the Sixers (12-26) were a shell of themselves en route to the humbling loss. The setback snapped their three-game winning streak. The Wizards (20-19) also avenged a 109-102 loss to the Sixers on Nov. 16.
Things got so out of hand that Wizards point guard John Wall (25 points, seven assists), shooting guard Bradley Beal (20 points), and center Marcin Gortat (12 points, 10 rebounds) all sat out the fourth quarter.
There was a thought that Noel, who had excelled as Embiid's backup the previous six games, would get the starting nod. And it's unclear whether Noel or Okafor will back up Embiid when the Sixers face the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
"That's a fair question," Brown responded when asked before the game if Noel would be the backup. "I don't know. What goes on the next game and so on, we'll figure that out."
Perhaps.
The thing we do know was that this was a big opportunity for Okafor, who played 35 minutes, 28 seconds.
Brown said he wanted the big man and third overall pick of the 2015 draft to remember his pedigree. The coach also wanted him "to relax."
Okafor did play with a lot of fire in his first game action since playing just 10:10 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 3.
The 6-foot-11, 265-pounder finished with a team-high 26 points, nine rebounds, and one block. He made his first three field-goal attempts and scored nine of the Sixers' first 16 points.
"He's an NBA starter," Brown said. "Anybody that looks at it is going to see 26. He could have had 30 in a heartbeat. That's what Jahlil does. He can score, and he commands double teams."
Okafor was active. However, the Sixers gave up easy buckets. They also lacked the ball movement that enabled them to win four of their previous five games. But Okafor scored at ease, making 10 of 16 shots.
"He looked like a man," Noel said. "I'm proud of him. He endured what he had to go through and came back and showed what he's capable of. That's just showing his maturity and his professionalism."
Okafor, whom Brown called a professional scorer, was noticeably winded in the second quarter. But he was able to fight through it. The 21-year-old said Brown informed him a week ago that he would start in this game. So he put in the extra time after practice and at night to make sure his conditioning was up for this game.
"I was just being active playing with a lot of energy," Okafor said. "But it felt good to be back on the court."
Noel finished with six points, a game-high 12 rebounds, and three turnovers in 12:32. He grabbed seven of his rebounds before suffering a left-ankle sprain early in the second quarter. The 22-year-old went to the locker room to get his ankle retaped and returned to the game.
"When he's right, he's hard to guard, because he is so active," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. "It seems like he sets a screen above the three-point line and goes to the rim within two steps. If you are not on point with your coverage, you are going to get dunked on. That's what he does best."
Brooks believes Noel is one of the best big men at running the floor. The Wizards coach also thinks he's one of the best centers at setting screens and rolling to basket for alley-oops and blocking shots.
Brown said he started Okafor to keep Noel in the same backup role he played in the last six games and to cause less disruption in the lineup.
The move also allowed Okafor to play a more prominent role.
Chasson Randle made his NBA debut. The combo guard, on a 10-day contract, came in late in the game. He hit a three-pointer for his only points.
T.J. McConnell had an X-ray after jamming his left wrist, but he remained in the game. He expects to play Monday.
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