Game 6 was a dream I never want to wake up from. As the Sixers have forced a Game 7 in Boston against the heavily favored Celtics, I’ll share a new “5 Sixers thoughts” column with you all…
My Paul George apology form
I hated the Paul George contract before the ink even dried on it. I hated how the last two seasons had transpired for the Sixers, with the signing of the aging, over-the-hill former superstar being emblematic of it all. He appeared as fraudulent of a “third star” as there ever was.
Well, over the Sixers’ last two
wins against the Celtics, George has been the two-way beast he was during his prime. George, who will turn 36 on Saturday for Game 7, has been a smothering presence defensively while shooting a whopping 54.3 percent on three-pointers in the series overall. This is the “Playoff P” who I’ve cracked jokes about for so long!
Another performance like this from George in a birthday Game 7 win will have him going down as premier 21st century playoff Sixer. It’s wild even typing that!
I can’t believe Sixers basketball has ever looked this smooth
This sequence is like the Industrial Revolution, but for Sixers playoff basketball:
It has never looked that easy. What am I watching? Are the Sixers actually peaking at the perfect time with a previously omnipotent opponent’s ship starting to leak? The last few days have been a godsend for a fan base that’s been kicked in the teeth for far too long.
The decision to go away from the black uniforms was wise
The Sixers, before the playoffs began, announced that they would be wearing their beloved Allen Iverson-era throwback black uniforms for every home postseason game. After losing a thriller in Game 3 and getting rocked in Game 4, however, that plan went out the window. With the Sixers winning Game 2 and Game 5 in Boston in their classic white uniforms, the team made the switch and went with them for Game 6 at home. Superstitious? Just riding the wave? Whatever it may be, it worked on Thursday.
I’ve long been a proponent of the old-school concept of home teams always wearing white in the NBA. If the Sixers can be victorious in Game 7 and advance to the second round against New York, they should keep up with this vibe until it stops working.
I’ve seen enough Payton Pritchard for a lifetime
A new villain emerges every Philadelphia sports playoff run and the latest is Payton Pritchard. The Celtics guard’s penchant for last-second, clutch shot-making has made him the player I’ve screamed at the TV about the most over the first six games this series. Every three he hoists feels like it’s going in. A 1-for-8 shooting night from deep in Game 6, however, had me elated. Another off game like that from Pritchard and the Celtics’ bench marksmen would do a whole host of good for the Sixers’ chances of nabbing a Game 7 win.
Even so, after Saturday night, I never want to see Pritchard go against the Sixers in the postseason ever again.
Going the distance
I can be quite tongue-in-cheek when it comes to my Sixers fandom, but I am living and dying with this series. The team has not advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs in a quarter of a century. I’ve been writing on and off this Sixers blog legitimately since I was a junior in college. I have dedicated immense mental bandwidth to this franchise that has provided very little return on investment. That’s the nature of sports, so it is what it is.
I know it would be pathetic to say about a mere first-round series, but, sheesh, I have only faint memories of Allen Iverson’s 2001 Finals run, so this legitimately might be the greatest moment of my life watching the Sixers if they can win Game 7 in Boston. With the way that Embiid has missed time with appendicitis, with how infuriated I’ve been with both Daryl Morey and Nick Nurse and, frankly, how disillusioned I’ve been with the failed promises of the Process, stealing yet another game in Boston would be downright cathartic.
I didn’t think the Sixers had it in them to win both Game 6 and Game 7 heading into Thursday night, but screw it. Let’s go for the throat. I have been adhering to the “house money” sentiment and I want the Celtics to sweat out every single one of the 48 minutes remaining in the series if the Sixers aren’t going to beat them outright, but I would love nothing more in this world than upsetting Boston one last time this spring.
