Wednesday night’s match between the current number 1 seed in the Eastern and Western conferences certainly lived up to the hype.
In the end, the Sixers won it 131-123 in overtime because they had the best player on the floor. They may just have the best player in the NBA through the first half of the season.
Joel Embiid had the game regulated by dropping a heroic three-pointer from the right wing, although Bojan Bogdanovic kept a close eye on him.
Mike Conley’s fair runner in Utah’s final possession did not fall and sent the game to overtime, where the Sixers maintained their momentum.
Embiid had 40 points on 14-for-27 shots and 19 rebounds. Ben Simmons scored 17 points and dished out six assistants.
The All-Star Game takes place on 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 may attend the Sixers’ next home game, which takes place on March 14.
Here are three observations on the 24-12 Sixers victory over Utah:
Incredible to another DPOY contender
From the opening point, it seems that Embiid is well positioned for a comfortable offensive evening. His first two baskets were a by-product of the Sixers, pulling Rudy Gobert, two-time defensive player of the year, off the edge, while Embiid converted a pick-up-roll error and made a lineup when he rolled after starting a dribble act on wing with Seth Curry.
The Sixers led Embiid for center-backs after Derrick Favors, while Utah’s rugby center was unable to push Embiid out of his seat, or to meaningfully contest his shots. Other than hard double teams from different angles, this does not seem to be a strategy to prevent Embiid from getting the look he wants.
Once again, his strength and skill were an overwhelming combination. He must remain a serious MVP candidate all season, as long as he avoids serious injuries. Through 30 games, he scored 30.2 points per game.
As for Simmons, Embiid’s fellow Sixers All-Star pick, he had an effective night and scored 8 of his 11 field goals. Donovan Mitchell (33 points on 12-for-34 shooting) played well for much of the game against Simmons. He penetrated some open tractors of effective ball screens and also hit just a few hard shots when Simmons stayed in front of him. and the Jazz were looking for a look late in the lap bell.
Simmons, however, did an excellent job of stopping Mitchell in the fourth quarter and overtime. Mitchell was 3 for 13 after the third period.
‘I’ll just keep saying: Ben, if he does not win (Defensive Player of the Year) – and I never run a campaign – this may be my last campaign speech, except for President … he watches best every night , “Rivers said.” Donovan Mitchell, if you just look at the 33 points … he was 12 for 34. Nobody does it to him, and Ben does it, and he does it every night for everyone. He was incredible. He needs more credit. ‘
With a big lead from long distance
The Jazz scored 39 points behind the arc as the Sixers. Utah made 21 of 44 three-pointers, while the Sixers were 8 for 25.
Jazz head coach Quin Snyder probably admitted that the Sixers did not have a good night from three points and that Embiid thrived when he had a 1-on-1 game, in the second quarter. Embiid single-handedly beat it with a powerful baseline, transforming a one-on-one lineup.
Although Rivers has predicted that he is most concerned about the Sixers’ attempts to try high-quality shots – not necessarily tries – it is clear that the team will benefit from making more long-range efforts, provided they do not have 27 tons. feet now disputed do not rush up.
Embiid asked for shooters this season and got his wish when president of basketball operations acquired Daryl Morey Curry and Danny Green. While the Sixers may try to address their low three-point problem internally, Morey will surely consider potential shooting reinforcements before the March 25 deadline. Embiid himself said after the Sixers’ defeat against the Cavaliers that the team should take more tries. His opinion rightly holds weight in the organization.
Green had three points on 1-for-6 shooting, four rebounds, a steal and a block. Not for the first time, Shake Milton was the logical choice to end the match over the 33-year-old. Rivers also used Matisse Thybulle as a defensive substitute for late play.
Tobias Harris returned after a two-game absence due to a right knee injury and scored 22 points on 9-for-18 shooting. Although his mediocre game was rusty early on, the most important thing is that he is healthy and should be available for important games in the second half.
He was sharp and caught during overtime, giving the Sixers an important point in the standings and outscoring the Jazz at 11-5 in the extra session alone. His isolation point ability is very valuable, especially when opponents’ full focus is on preventing Embiid from catching the ball and doubling him when he receives it.
All-bench line an interesting choice
Even against the team with the NBA’s best record, Rivers thought the Sixers could hold the game late in the first period and early in the second time with a team on the bench. Although Furkan Korkmaz and Milton scored a total of twelve points in the first half, the approach of the second unit did not work as the Sixers bank Utah extended the lead to 13 points.
In the second half of the season, we imagine that Rivers will mix his beginners minutes more frequently with his second unit. The conditions would have to be rather unusual for the Sixers to use five bankers simultaneously in a play-off match, and so it is probably not worth noting such a setup to play regularly in competitive situations.
Dwight Howard had a rough first few minutes on both sides of the ball, and missed two shots near the edge, leaving Gobert with an attacking setback. Thybulle was the main defender on Jordan Clarkson, a clever call from Rivers that helped the Sixers limit the sixth man of the year favorite to 10 points on three-to-ten shooting, 30 less than he did on February 15 against the Sixers. The pump-fake Korkmaz enabled him to make a foul on a three-point shot and drain an open long-range attempt, though the Jazz sometimes targeted him defensively.
Rivers stood with the same line in the second half. The group fared better, thanks in part to a surprising series in which Howard scored the 13th try of his NBA career, then stole the ball from Gobert, brought it to the floor and finally split some free throws.
He blocked a Conley shot in the ensuing possession, resulting in a Korkmaz basket on the other side. The Sixers are unlikely to have tied the game at 92, and Rivers’ replacement pattern has suddenly not touched so badly. Mike Scott’s try from the right corner put the Sixers ahead a minute later and gave the team’s starters (with Milton in Green’s place) a good chance of winning the game.
“It was really encouraging,” Rivers said. ‘We actually went into the game and thought Dwight would play lower minutes and we would play a lot against Mike on the five against Gobert, but Dwight played so well that we could play our normal five, which was great. ”