The Sixers’ first three wins after the All-Star break are definitely well before the final minutes.
Tuesday night’s 99-96 victory over the Knicks was a different story. The Sixers returned from nine and entered the final period to achieve their sixth consecutive win and improve to 28-12.
RJ Barrett misfired a short jumper that could tie the game with about 20 seconds left. Furkan Korkmaz was then deliberately committed and made one of the two free throws. Immanuel Quickley missed another potential shot on subsequent possession, and the Sixers clinched the deal from there.
“The game was physical – a lot of grabs, a lot of mistakes in both directions,” said head coach Six Rivers. “Too much frustration, in my opinion. It was a good test for us, because that’s how some of the playoffs will be. Not all of them, but you’ll have some like this, and you need to find a way to “Winning this game tonight without Joel (Embiid) on the floor and things not going your way early was a big statement by this team.”
Tobias Harris and Seth Curry were the Sixers’ leading scorers with 30 and 20 points respectively. Ben Simmons had 16 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, while Julius Randle led the Knicks with 19 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists.
The Sixers will try to expand their series to seven on Wednesday night when they play the Bucks. Here are three observations on their poor win over New York:
Throwback evening
The same appetizer the Sixers used in the 35-point win over the Spurs on Sunday night experienced problems in their first game.
Danny Green, after scoring 11 of the Sixers’ first 15 points against San Antonio, missed his first five shots. The Sixers started as a team 2 for 11. New York played a physical, effortless defense, constantly putting pressure on Green, Curry and Harris far from the ring, making it difficult for the Sixers to establish a rhythm.
Both the Sixers and Knicks shot 40.9 percent off the floor in the first period, a byproduct of good defensive focus and idiosyncratic shooting outside. As Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey remarked on Twitter, it felt like the game took place in another century.
Green eventually made a shot and picked up four steals and a block, though his night did not improve offensively. It’s definitely harder to overcome a 1-for-10 shooting performance from an appetizer with Embiid (who turned 27 on Tuesday) through a bruise on his left knee. Korkmaz ended the match over Green.
Not for the first time this season, the Sixers’ turnover was expensive, prompting the transition from New York. However, the Knicks prevented the Sixers from getting very easy chances for quick interruption, as the game was mostly played on their terms.
In all, the Sixers’ 12 turnovers led to 22 Knicks points. The Sixers took excellent care of the ball in the piece and did not turn the ball over once in the fourth quarter.
Trust Harris
As the Sixers’ offense struggled late in the second quarter and the team was frustrated by the performance, Harris scored two important tries and Simmons made a one-on-one series to level the game.
The Knicks, however, were not discouraged by the short swing in momentum, but scored seven straight points and set up an eight-point lead. Simmons, Harris and Dwight Howard scored 34 of the Sixers’ 48 points in the first half. Their teammates shot just 4 for 21 off the floor.
Curry started turning early in the third quarter and converted a four-point game, two catch-and-shoot tries and a runner-up. He also made an important decisive try in fourth place.
As for Harris, he showed a skill this season that he got through when the Sixers were desperate for a hoop. After a quiet stretch, he produced two important buckets late in the fourth. He shouts, “I’m an All-Star” to his basket to put the Sixers on four.
“It’s just to reaffirm it to myself,” Harris said. ‘I know the fans know it, but to confirm it again for themselves and for myself, especially to make the big plays. I’m just trying to find motivation in different areas. one of them, and on top of that I just think the challenge of keeping Joel out. This is a new challenge presented to us as a team, and I want to take up the challenge because I know how good our team is to him, and I know how good we are a team, even without having him .
“Of course we need him, but at the same time I accept all the challenges. What someone has to say does not really matter to myself, because I know if I look everyone in that locker room in the face before the game, we are ready to go out there and win. ”
They did not always agree, as neither team decided to switch. Both players have evolved into leaders their teams can rely on, with Randle’s passing and Harris’ ability to fight through contact to reach his preferred qualities that emerged on Tuesday.
Rivers also wanted to make sure Harris’ defense was not overlooked.
“Tonight defensively, Tobias was phenomenal,” he said. “He was as good as I’ve never seen him before. Got a lot of deflections, Randle got his hands on it. I thought that was the key to the game – Tobias Harris’ defense. “It’s hard to protect. It’s hard to do because Randle is a great player. I thought that was the key to the game.”
Howard plays a big role
Howard got a tip late in the first quarter and a setback early in the second quarter.
Aside from his performance, rolling and offensive setback, not much else worked for the Sixers’ second unit in the first half. Former Sixer and current Knick Alec Burks, who scored 19 points, could have been a useful player for Rivers to address. On the other side of the floor, Howard and the Sixers were content to allow Taj Gibson to open three-pointers, and he missed his first two.
The strategy was good against a 30-point shooter of 30 percent, but it will be interesting to see what the Sixers do without Embiid if they have a legal series five. In theory, it might be the right time to try more of Simmons in the middle, though Howard’s energy and production in recent games has generally been impeccable. He scored 11 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks against the Knicks.
Howard played 28 minutes on Tuesday, while Tony Bradley 17. Maybe Rivers did not want to sting Bradley’s confidence or overburden his 35-year-old center, but the split could probably be even further in Howard’s direction, especially since Bradley did it. did not. a good night. If Howard plays significantly more than Bradley, but to keep playing on the bench, that might be Rivers’ approach.
Howard has enjoyed playing in front of the fans for the past two games at Wells Fargo Center. After his rejection of Randle in the fourth quarter, it was hard to believe that only 3,000 fans were in the building.
Why does Rivers think Howard has raised his game level to the All-Star level?
“Probably the drinks he had in Puerto Rico, or wherever he went for a break,” Rivers joked. “He could relax … I think that’s just who he is, no. 1. I think the fans help. loves an audience. But he is so important to us. I thought he stabilized us in the first half and came in and made some plays. it changed everything. This is what he does for your team. ”