Although Wednesday night’s game would never give a definitive answer to the question of whether the Sixers are a first-class contender for the NBA title, it was the most important test in the early season.
The Sixers pass it and earn a 107-106 victory over defending champions Lakers to improve to 13-6.
Tobias Harris ‘pull jumper on the Sixers’ last possession won the game and saved it would be a bitterly disappointing loss. With just over five minutes left, the Sixers’ performance was 14 points higher as they were more eager to watch the clock turn than to score. In the end, Harris saved the day, and an off-balance that Anthony Davis brought to the buzzer was short.
LeBron James posted 34 points, six rebounds and six assists in a losing effort, which kept Los Angeles competitive throughout the game.
The win is the best so far of the 2020-21 Sixers, an impressive response to the idea that their place at the top of the Eastern Conference can be attributed to an easy schedule.
Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey was not at the game because he works remotely due to COVID-19 contact detection unrelated to the Sixers, according to a report by Keith Pompey of The Enquirer.
The Sixers play next Friday night, a game against the Timberwolves. Here are observations on their victory over the Lakers:
Simmons vs James
Ben Simmons was in the attack from the jump, scoring six of the Sixers’ first nine points and quickly eating up the ample space James gave him to work and set the tone well.
James was predictably the focal point of the Lakers offense, and he burned Simmons and the Sixers’ zealous defense early on by getting several setbacks. James’ sense of when and how to use his wide range of skills remains special; He is a basketball genius who happens to have extraordinary physical gifts. His aggression was necessary in the first half as Los Angeles shot 1 for 11 out of three points and got no meaningful score other than James and Davis.
Although James scored far more than his mentee, Simmons made his mark on the game in many ways, scoring a triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Danny Green said after the Sixers’ shooting incident on Wednesday that he sees why people associate James and Simmons, but that he is “unfair” in comparing anyone to James. We agree with his assessment.
Embiid’s eventful evening
It did not take long before Joel Embiid frustrated Marc Gasol, the man who handled his worst 0-for-11 performance during his career last season, as the 35-year-old suffered a technical error in the first quarter has. object to an Embiid and-one. The Sixers All-Star center then started rolling, turning him into the posts before double teams could show up.
Head coach Doc Rivers left Embiid for more than ten minutes, playing him in a lineup without a true power forward. The unit was excellent as the Sixers moved aid in the direction of whatever man in a particular defensive possession had a major disadvantage and continued to cook offensively and lead 34-18.
The non-Embiid minutes that followed were far less fruitful for the Sixers as the Lakers trailed 8-0. Dwight Howard missed four times in the series and did not play well, prompting Rivers to use Simmons as his defensive center. A Los Angeles bench member shouted ‘No rim protection’ when he saw the decision, and with all due respect to Simmons and his diverse defensive talents, the sentiment was not wrong.
That said, the Sixers were at least able to put together a foul and stabilize things a bit when Simmons replaced Howard. Rivers’ willingness to use Simmons as a remedy is certainly a notable development; perhaps this is a look at which the Sixers will begin to incorporate more if they aim to in the playoffs. Rivers did give Howard his normal rugby center minutes in the second half.
The Sixers welcomed back Embiid’s ability to make offenses (along with his many other skills of course) after missing the team’s loss to the Pistons on Monday with a tight back. Embiid was 11 for 13 from the fault line.
Embiid (28 points, six rebounds, four assists) had an injury scare in the third period when he went to a dunk and fell hard on the floor after James made contact with his chest. He punched the floor and ginger stood up, but stayed in the game and threw both for free. James was asked for a flagrant 1 offense. Embiid was whistled for a flagrant 1 offense about a minute later when he hit Davis in the face with an elbow while looking for a foul.
Additional pieces step up
In a star-studded game, the Sixers won largely because their complementary players were overall better than the Lakers’s.
At an important point early in the third quarter, Harris rode in Gasol’s body and laid the ball to give the Sixers a 57-53 lead. Harris (24 points on 10-for-16 shooting) and Danny Green (14 points on 5-for-11 shooting) both drained three-pointers shortly thereafter, helping the Sixers build up their advantage to 12 points, which forced a timeout for the Lakers. and to dispel the unrest that could possibly stem from the Lakers’ return in the second quarter.
Although the Lakers did not disappear, Harris was vital again later in the third year, he converted a left-wing lineup, stopped Davis twice in the post and enabled the Sixers to maintain their lead. His All-Star affair definitely got a little stronger on Wednesday night, especially with his clutch jersey to tackle a high-drama match.