Sixers takeaways: Paul George keeps taking over, Kelly Oubre Jr.’s energy outweighs shooting woes, and more in win over Magic

Paul George keeps taking up the slack.

The center rotation between Joel Embiid remains in flux.

And Kelly Oubre Jr. must regain his shooting rhythm. But in the meantime, his effort has been a huge asset.

Those things stood out in the 76ers’ 103-91 victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday night at the Kia Center.

The Sixers (21-15) need someone to take over when Tyrese Maxey and Embiid are on the bench at the start of the fourth quarter. Based on Friday, George is determined to fulfill that role.

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The nine-time All-Star scored eight of the Sixers’ 11 points to put them up 94-82 before Embid and Maxey checked in with 6 minutes, 48 seconds remaining. George made 4 of 7 shots, grabbed four rebounds, blocked two shots, and assisted on Andre Drummond’s layup during the stretch without the two standouts.

After he went to the bench briefly at the 6:18 mark, Maxey and Embiid continued where he left off. They combined to score seven points before George returned with 3:35 remaining. He added his 10th point of the quarter on a layup with 2:57 left.

“He was really good in the fourth,” Maxey told the media. “Really good! He played defense all game. Then in the fourth, he made shots.”

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The 6-foot-9 small forward finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and three steals to go with his two blocks. This is the second consecutive game that George dominated a quarter. He scored 13 of his 23 points in the second quarter of Wednesday’s home victory against the Washington Wizards.

The Sixers need him and rookie VJ Edgecombe to keep dominating quarters, especially when Maxey and Embiid are resting.

George didn’t shoot the ball well, missing all seven of his three-point attempts. But he played with poise and got to his spots for key buckets, especially in the fourth quarter.

Maxey finished with a game-high 29 points and three steals. Embiid added 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block. Edgecombe had just six points on 3-for-8 shooting. But the shooting guard finished with nine rebounds, a team-high seven assists, and two steals.

The Sixers will be tough to beat if their four best players continue to display this type of balance.

When healthy and available, Embiid will always get the start at center. And that’s understandable, considering he’s the 2023 MVP and a seven-time All-Star. Who backs him up, however, often depends on the matchup.

Adem Bona usually gets the nod when the Sixers are playing an athletic team that likes to play an uptempo style. Meanwhile, Drummond assumes the role whenever they need rebounding against a towering team.

» READ MORE: ‘That’s the PG we all know and love’: Paul George is finding a rhythm and changing the narrative of his Sixers tenure

So against Orlando (21-18), Drummond was the first player off the bench, subbing in for Embiid with 5:47 left in the opening quarter. This marked his second consecutive appearance after not playing in the previous two games.

Drummond quickly made an impact, grabbing an offensive rebound and scoring a putback at the 5:12 mark. He played well, finishing with seven points and six rebounds, and was a plus-8 in 16:37. Bona did not play.

Oubre is rusty. And that’s understandable.

Friday marked his second game back after missing 22 games with a sprained left knee ligament. The small forward failed to score while missing all five of his shots. But what Oubre lacked in shooting, he made up for in other areas. The 6-8, 203-pounder finished with six rebounds and one block.

He’s shooting 1-for-9, including missing all four of his three-point attempts, in his return.

But his energy and solid defense have made Oubre an asset off the bench in the last two games. And he should make an even larger impact once he regains his shooting rhythm.

Before the injury, Oubre averaged 16.8 points on 49.7% shooting — including 34.3% from three-point land.

The Sixers expect him to regain his shooting form over time.