What is the story about?
Despite the fight shown, the Sixers were not able to rise up for the cup. At least they helped their point differential.
Kicking off group play, the Sixers dropped their first game of the season in a 109-108 nail biter to the Boston Celtics Friday night.
Still on a minutes restriction, Joel Embiid played his most minutes of the year, finishing with 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting, but missed a potential game-winning three. He added six rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 25 minutes of play.
Tyrese
Maxey had his quietest game as a scorer. He still led the Sixers with 24, but could not get the game-winning floater to go. He also finished with 14 assists. VJ Edgecombe had his rookie moments but still had some big baskets, finishing with 17, five and five on 7-of-11 shooting. Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 32.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
- It was a solid, if not slightly odd start for Embiid, who was responsible for the Sixers’ first 10 points of the game. He’s thrown some really nice passes this year, and started off tonight with a post entry to Jabari Walker for a layup. He looked good trying to slow things down, able to bully his way into some early free throws. He tried to get more aggressive and move faster and that’s when he got into a bit of trouble. One drive he took too many steps and ended up getting his layup blocked. Another he just was trying to go too quickly and left the ball behind him.
- The Sixers’ defense looked shaky again to start. This time it was certainly more about containing the perimeter rather than rim protection. Payton Pritchard and Brown hunted their midrange jumpers and didn’t have a hard time beating Edgecombe and Kelly Oubre Jr. more often than not to get them. The two Celtics combined to start the game 11-of-14 from the floor.
- It’s hard to say if the Sixers’ offense was sloppier than normal, or if they just did not hit threes at the insane clip they have to start the season. There were a few dropped passes and choppy dribbles, but four turnovers isn’t insanely high for a quarter. They shot 3-of-9 from beyond the arc while Boston made three in the final two minutes of the quarter. That discrepancy helped the Sixers fall into a 13-point hole after one.
Second Quarter
- Despite the first unit mostly being on the floor, the Sixers couldn’t get their offense out of that rut, allowing the Celtics lead to keep growing quickly. Trendon Watford drove for a nice open layup on one of his first touches but even that didn’t fall. Quentin Grimes gave a big fist pump when he finally got a jumper to fall after missing his first four shots of the night.
- If there was one positive to be found in this disaster of a half, it looked like there were a couple moments Embiid looked more confident in his movements. He was finally able to step out and deny someone’s shot. A few moments later he lost the ball on the drive again, but was ready to throw it down and still jumped and hung on the rim. That didn’t stop the Celtics though from running up and down the floor to push their lead to 20.
- The Sixers did have a spark in them, and who would else would it come from but their first-round rookie. Edgecombe had a six-point sequence when he shook Pritchard for a stepback three, then had a very exciting and-1 in transition. Andre Drummond, who came on in place of Adem Bona in the second, hit a corner three despite the crowd’s dismay. A couple successful drives from Oubre and the Sixers had cut the lead to 11 at the break.
Third Quarter
- The Sixers came out of the half looking drastically different again, but this time it was a good thing. Embiid continued to look more comfortable, getting all the way to the basket for a drive. It was also maybe the most he tested himself on blocks. He got all the way back for a chase down block on Derrick White. A few moments later he got up to block a Neemias Queta dunk, but Queta was able to get around him and lay it in. Their perimeter defense looked better as well, with Maxey and Oubre flying around creating deflections for fast breaks.
- It was also refreshing to see Embiid be able to use different speeds. He hit Queta with a euro step that looked like slow motion, and drew an and-1 in the process. Maxey tied the game soon after with a floater. While he hasn’t quite hit 25 minutes in a game, it seems like the team is comfortable letting him go more than 20. That or Nick Nurse was just riding the hot hand as he played six and a half minutes to start the half. Again it was Drummond who relieved him rather than Bona.
- Eventually the bench had to shuffle in for the Sixers, and unlike the starters they did not appear to shake off a rough first half. Grimes was less involved after many unsuccessful iso attempts in the first half. Justin Edwards couldn’t buy a basket, starting the game 1-of-5, and couldn’t seem to keep the ball moving either way. He had a pair of nervous turnovers, just trying to move too fast without an end in mind. Boston was able to get back up by seven at the end of the third.
Fourth Quarter
- Funny enough, it felt like most of the Sixers’ blocks on the night came on jumpers. Maxey had a couple big ones earlier, and his buddy Watford had one to help them start the fourth on the right note. Bona checked back in at the start of the quarter too, and it didn’t take long for him to pick up a couple more traditional blocks. Their sloppiness continued though, and a couple turnovers made sure that the offense couldn’t take advantage.
- The full boundaries of that restriction were pushed as Embiid checked back in with seven and a half minutes to go, already having played 17 and a half minutes. Even the most well-oiled parts of this team weren’t free from mistakes as Maxey missed a pocket pass to Embiid which sailed out of bounds, and the Sixers were unable to make any progress on Boston’s lead.
- With the Celtics looking to put it away, Maxey, Grimes and Oubre all hit threes to pull the game back within two possessions. Edgecombe hit one with 51 seconds remaining to pull it within two. Brown drew a foul on the following possession, but split his pair. Maxey went for a layup to make it a one-point game.
- In the process of trying to take time off the clock, Brown picked up an offensive foul with 11 seconds left. The Sixers went to Maxey in the backcourt, who tried to get down for a quick floater that didn’t fall. Josh Minnot was fouled with 3.8 seconds left and missed both, Embiid securing the rebound. With one more chance, the Sixers went to Grimes who got into trouble quickly. He was able to swing it to Embiid, somehow with time left, but the long three didn’t fall, and the Sixers will not in fact, go undefeated.
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