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Wednesday night’s game between the current No.1 seeds in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference certainly lived up to the hype.
In the end, the Sixers won, 131-123 in overtime, because they had the best player on the floor. They might just have the best player in the NBA for the first half of the season.
Joel Embiid equalized the game at the end of regulation by sinking a heroic three point from the right wing as he was closely guarded by Bojan Bogdanovic.
Utah’s right-hand runner Mike Conley didn’t drop, sending the game into overtime, where the Sixers kept their momentum going.
Embiid had 40 points on a 14 for 27 shot and 19 rebounds. Ben Simmons scored 17 points and distributed six assists.
The All-Star Game takes place Sunday in Atlanta, Georgia. Sixers head coach Doc Rivers and his staff will lead the team led by Kevin Durant, while Simmons and Embiid will be selected in the All-Star Draft on Thursday night. Fans will be allowed to attend the Sixers’ next home game, which takes place on March 14.
Here are three observations on the 24-12 Sixers’ dramatic victory over Utah:
Amazing Embiid vs. Another DPOY Candidate
From the first tip, it appeared that Embiid was well placed for a comfortable offensive night. His first two baskets were a by-product of the Sixers aptly drawing two-time defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert away from the rim as Embiid converted a foul lineman backwards from a pick-and -roll and lay-up when he rolled after initiating a dribble transfer action on the wing with Seth Curry.
The Sixers fed Embiid for back-to-back midrange jumpers following the substitution of Derrick Favors, with the Utah save center unable to knock Embiid out of his place in the post or significantly challenge his shots. Other than difficult double teams from different angles, there doesn’t seem to be any strategy to prevent Embiid from getting the looks he wants.
Again, his strength and skill was an overwhelming combination. He should remain a serious MVP contender all season long as long as he avoids any major injuries. In 30 games, he averaged 30.2 points per contest.
As for Simmons, Embiid’s Sixers All-Star selection mate, he had an effective night, scoring 8 of his 11 field goals. Donovan Mitchell (33 points on a 12 for 34 shot) played well for much of the game against Simmons, starting a few open lines on efficient ball screens and simply hitting tough shots when Simmons stayed in front of him. and the Jazz were looking for a late look on the shot clock.
However, Simmons did a great job stopping Mitchell in the fourth quarter and in overtime. Mitchell was 3 for 13 after the third period.
“I’m just going to keep saying it: Ben, if he doesn’t win (Defensive Player of the Year) – and I never campaign – this might be my last campaign speech, except for the president.” … he keeps the best every night, “said Rivers.” Donovan Mitchell, if you just look at the 33 points … he had 12 for 34. Nobody does that to him, and Ben does, and he does it every night to everyone. He was amazing. He needs more credit.
Grant a great advantage at long range
The Jazz scored 39 more points behind the arc than the Sixers. Utah had 21 of 44 three-pointers, while the Sixers were 8 for 25.
Probably acknowledging that the Sixers weren’t having a good three-point night and that Embiid was in full swing whenever he had a 1-on-1 game, Jazz head coach Quin Snyder threw a possession from the defense. zone in the second quarter. Embiid single-handedly beat him with a powerful base player, converting a layup and a.
Although Rivers said ahead of the game that he was most concerned about the Sixers attempting high-quality shots – not necessarily three – it’s obvious the team would benefit from making more attempts over long distances, provided not to pick up the hotly contested 27-foot tons. .
Embiid called for shooters this offseason and got his wish when the president of basketball operations Daryl Morey acquired Curry and Danny Green. While the Sixers can try to resolve their three-point low volume issue internally, Morey will surely consider possible shooting reinforcements before the March 25 trade deadline. Embiid himself said after the Sixers’ loss to the Cavaliers the team needed to take more than three. His opinion rightly carries weight in the organization.
Green had three points on a 1 for 6 shot, four rebounds, a steal and a block. Not for the first time, Shake Milton was the logical choice to close the game against the 33-year-old. Rivers also used Matisse Thybulle as a late-game defensive substitute.
Tobias Harris returned after a two-game absence with a bruised right knee and recorded 22 points on a 9-for-18 shot. Although his mid-range game may have been a bit rusty at first , the most important thing is that he is in good health and should be available for the important games of the second half.
He was crisp and tight in overtime, giving the Sixers eight key points in the post and edging the Jazz by himself, 11-5, in the extra session. His ability to score from isolation is invaluable, especially when the opponent’s main goal is to prevent Embiid from catching the ball and overtaking him when he receives it.
All bench range an interesting choice
Even against the team with the best record in the NBA, Rivers believed the Sixers could keep the game close late in the first period and early in the second with a bench-only roster. Although Furkan Korkmaz and Milton collected a total of 12 points in the first half, this second unit approach didn’t work as the Sixers bench allowed Utah to extend their lead to 13 points.
In the second half of the season, we imagine that Rivers will mix the minutes of his starters with those of his second unit more regularly. The circumstances should be unusual enough for the Sixers to use five bench players simultaneously in a playoff game, and so it probably isn’t worth not playing such formations often in competitive situations.
Dwight Howard had a tough first few minutes on both sides of the ball, missing two shots near the edge and leaving Gobert to score an offensive rebound. Thybulle was the main defenseman for Jordan Clarkson, a smart call from Rivers that helped the Sixers limit the sixth man of the year favorite to 10 points on a 3-for-10 shot, 30 shy of what he scored. against the Sixers on February 15. Korkmaz’s false pomp allowed him to foul a three-point shot and drain an open attempt at long range, although the Jazz sometimes targeted him defensively.
Rivers remained with the same roster in the second half. This group fared better, in part thanks to a surprising streak in which Howard made the 13th three of his NBA career, then stole the ball from Gobert, knocked him to the ground and ultimately split a pair. of free throws.
He blocked a shot from Conley on the next possession, leading to a Korkmaz basket on the other end. Improbably, the Sixers had tied the game at 92, and Rivers’ substitute model didn’t look so badly advised. Mike Scott’s three in the right corner about a minute later put the Sixers in front and gave the team’s starters (with Milton instead of Green) a good shot at winning the game.
“It was really encouraging,” Rivers said. “We actually came into the game thinking that Dwight would play lower minutes and we would play Mike five-a-side a lot against Gobert, but Dwight played so well that we were able to play our usual five, which was big.
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