Well, no brooms were taken out during the series but the Sixers were still victorious. Here are my top 5 takeaways from the game 5 victory:
1. Seth Curry is a spark plug
Seth Curry is just one of those guys that can go off any night for your team. A dazzling performance highlighted by a 12-point third quarter shows us the value he gave. I bring you back to NBA Draft Day when Daryl Morey traded Josh Richardson and a second round pick for Curry. At the time, it was thought that both teams would be getting good players. Now it’s just another Morey deal that has gone in his favor.
2. I love Tyrese Maxey and so do you.
It’s insane how fast Maxey has taken the reigns from Shake Milton. Before the playoffs, Maxey was thought to be the 10th man in the rotation at best. Doc is now trusting him to run the offense when Ben is off the court and create shots for himself. Early in this game, Maxey helped carry Philadelphia stay in contention with Washington’s hot offense. He’s just so quick off the bounce and comfortable taking shots. He has great touch and honestly, there were moments where Bradley Beal and Maxey made the exact same shots driving to the rim. Reverse off the glass layups is something Maxey showed in college as well, and now he’s using them in the playoffs as a Sixer. He fell to 21 ladies and gentlemen!!!! Never forget that.
3. I love Ben Simmons and so do you.
After a tough game on Monday, Simmons showed some poise and resilience. Ben was phenomenal defensively, constantly denying Beal the ball and trapping him along the sideline. Ben made him take a lot of tough shots. Offensively, he gave the team 11 assists and 19 points on 7/11 shooting from the field. Not to mention he was 5/8 from the free throw line. Also, a playoff triple double in a closeout game for a star is great as well.
4. Doc Rivers is a good head coach.
The first half of this game was tough because the lane was open. No Joel, so not much rim protection to go along with it. Yet, Doc Rivers adjusted the defense in the second half and Philadelphia only allowed 18 points in the fourth quarter. He also did an amazing job in trusting Maxey and not having as short a hook as he did in the previous games in this series. Lastly, but definitely not least, a good challenge taken late in third turned a Washington possession into a Philly one. Overall, good called game from Doc.
5. Joel Embiid gets time off!
Probably the most important takeaway is that this series didn’t go to a Game 6. That would’ve not only taken momentum from the team, but would also force Embiid to maybe play when he isn’t all too healthy right now. He gets time to rest that knee and re-up for the second round of the playoffs.
In general, good game and a series win for Philadelphia. A mighty effort was shown and you just gotta love it. This team is fun to watch when they get going, man. I again ask you to send thank you notes to Daryl Morey! Good night, see y’all next week as the Sixers suit up for game 1 of the second round!
The Philly Blitz 