Although Wednesday night’s game would never provide a definitive answer to whether the Sixers are a true contender for the NBA title, it was the team’s most significant start-of-season test to date.
The Sixers passed, winning a 107-106 victory over defending champions Lakers to improve to 13-6.
Tobias Harris ‘pull-up jump in the Sixers’ last possession won the game and saved the team that would have been a bitterly disappointing loss. With 14 points less than just over five minutes away, the Sixers’ run at the end of the game just wasn’t good enough, as they seemed more eager to see the clock finish than to score. Harris, in the end, saved the day, and an unbalanced Anthony Davis let go of the bell.
LeBron James scored 34 points, six rebounds and six assists in a losing effort, keeping Los Angeles competitive throughout the game.
The victory is the best of the 2020-21 Sixers so far, an impressive response to the notion that its place at the top of the Eastern Conference is attributable to an easy schedule.
Sixers’ basketball operations president, Daryl Morey, was not in the game because he is working remotely because of COVID-19’s contact tracking not related to the Sixers, according to a report by Keith Pompey of The Inquirer.
The Sixers’ next game will be on Friday night, a road fight against the Timberwolves. Here are the remarks about his victory over the Lakers:
Simmons vs. James
Ben Simmons had been in attack mode since the jump, scoring six of the Sixers’ first nine points, quickly eating up the ample space James gave him to operate and setting the tone well.
James was predictably the focal point of the Lakers ‘attack, and he burned Simmons and the Sixers’ zealous defense early on, scoring several cuts in the back. 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. Their aggression was necessary in the first half, when Los Angeles hit 1 of 11 in the three-point streak and received no significant goals from anyone but James and Davis.
Although James scored far more than his protégé, Simmons made his mark in the game in a number of ways, recording a triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Danny Green said after the Sixers shootaround on Wednesday that he sees why people associate James and Simmons, but that he thinks it is “unfair” to compare someone to James. We agree with your assessment.
Embiid’s busy night
It did not take long for Joel Embiid to frustrate Marc Gasol, the man who protected him during his worst performance in the 0 to 11 career last season, when the 35-year-old suffered a technical foul in the first quarter by objecting to an Embiid and one. The Sixers’ All-Star pivot started rolling after that, straightening up and advancing on the crossbar before the pairs arrived.
Coach Doc Rivers left Embiid on the field for more than 10 minutes and played against him in a lineup with no real striker. This unit was excellent, as the Sixers helped in the direction of any man who was facing a size handicap in a specific defensive possession and continued to cook offensively, gaining a 34-18 lead.
The non-Embiid minutes that followed were much less fruitful for the Sixers, as the Lakers came out in an 8-0 streak. Dwight Howard missed four shots during that period and did not play well, prompting Rivers to enter Simmons as his team’s defensive center. A member of the Los Angeles bank shouted “No rim protection” when he saw that 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 muster some offense and stabilize things a little when Simmons replaced Howard. Rivers’ willingness to use Simmons downtown is certainly a remarkable development; perhaps it is a look that the Sixers will begin to incorporate more if they imagine presenting it in the playoffs. Rivers gave Howard his normal reserve minutes in the second half.
The Sixers welcomed Embiid’s ability to draw fouls (along with his many other skills, of course) after he lost the team’s defeat on Monday to the Pistons with back stiffness. Embiid scored 11 on 13 from the foul line.
Embiid (28 points, six rebounds, four assists) had an injury scare in the third period, when he climbed into a dunk and fell hard on the ground after James made contact with his chest. He slammed his fist on the floor and stood up carefully, but remained in the game and made both free throws. James was called for a Flagrant 1 foul. Embiid was whistled for a Flagrant 1 foul of his own about a minute later when he hit Davis in the face with an elbow while trying to score a foul on a drive.
Complementary parts increase
In a game centered on the stars, the Sixers won largely because their complementary players were better overall than those of the Lakers.
At an important moment early in the third quarter, Harris hit Gasol’s body and placed the ball to give the Sixers a 57-53 lead. Harris (24 points in the 10 to 16 shot) and Danny Green (14 points in the 5 to 11 shot) both drained three points in a row, helping the Sixers build their lead back to 12 points, forcing a timeout of the Lakers and removing some of the discomfort that may have resulted from the Lakers’ return in the second quarter.
Although the Lakers did not leave, Harris was vital again later in the third, converting a left-handed tray, stopping Davis one-on-one twice at the post and allowing the Sixers to keep the lead. His All-Star affair certainly got a little stronger on Wednesday night, especially with his clutch pullover to end a high drama game.