Another game, another W for Philadelphia. You just have to smile knowing how negative the outlook was coming out of that 4-0 sweep by Boston a year ago. Somebody bring Daryl Morey a lifetime gift card to literally anywhere in Philadelphia.
1. Joel Hans Embiid is Incredible
No matter what the Wizards threw at Embiid, he dominated them. Stepbacks, dunks, turnaround jumpers, man. You name it, he probably hit it tonight. There was a point in this game where Embiid just took over and didn’t look back. No one in the East has a big that can contain Embiid right now, and that’s a huge plus for Philadelphia’s championship hopes.
2. It’s Raining Three’s!
Philadelphia shot a whopping 51.5% from three tonight, and that percentage was driven particularly by offseason additions Danny Green and Seth Curry. For Danny Green, it’s remarkable to see how well he’s played after the all star break. Another excellent pickup by Daryl Morey for the cheap price of one Al Horford. I mean, he got Danny as a THROW-IN folks! That’s insanely good and shows you Morey’s quality of negotiating skills.
3. Maxey Starting to Replace Shake Milton in the Rotation
Not surprising, but good recognition from Doc Rivers.
Tyrese Maxey has been the better player for the last half of the regular season and the entirety of this series. He was good today, especially defensively. Maxey was switching well and communicating with the rest of the team. He also showed off some nice playmaking ability, making passes in the half-court and in transition. His statline wasn’t all too impressive but his impact was seen in more ways than one.
4. Sixers are Attacking the Mismatches
Yes, we all know this but I would like to highlight it again. Ben was aggressive in the half court, taking advantage of multiple lapses by the Washington defense. Joel Embiid was cooking Daniel Gafford as well. The Wizards just don’t have the players to deal with the size of Philadelphia. With any lineup the Wizards throw out there, Doc Rivers and the Sixers are constantly attacking the weaknesses. At this point, it genuinely doesn’t matter how many points Beal and Russ score. It’s not going to go well for Washington.
5. The All-Bench Minutes have to Go.
I’m serious y’all. Tonight was fun, but that didn’t start until the bench almost gave the lead away and Doc had to put the starters back in. I’m recommending the Sixers have at least one of Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and/or Joel Embiid on the court at all times. The bench is too inconsistent and a good team like Milwaukee or Brooklyn WILL exploit those minutes.
All in all, I don’t have much to say except the fact that the Sixers are a good team! I very much enjoyed this game and especially that late 3rd quarter stretch. This team is fun and we should all send Daryl Morey a few thank-you notes. See y’all on Monday! Get the brooms ready.
Mandatory Photo Credit: Bill Streicher/USA Today
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