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There was plenty of buzz ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers matchup with the Rockets as James Harden returned from his monthlong absence due to injury. For the first time in a Sixers uniform, he traveled back to Houston to play in front of the fans that he had his best moments in front of. This feel-good moment was spoiled for the Sixers who played uninspired basketball throughout the matchup. The Rockets put forth a scrappy effort and secured a 132-123 victory in double overtime.
Doc Rivers was rightfully fired up following the loss and when speaking to reporters put the blame on the defensive end. As he put it, “We fouled the entire game. Just bad, undisciplined fouls. I don’t know how many times you can foul a three-point shooter in a game. Whatever it was we did that. They looked us in the eye and beat us off the dribble the entire night. We were late to help and number one, we just gotta stop getting beat the entire game. So defensively I thought we were not at our best tonight.” Rivers wrapped it up with a positive spin and stated, “This game will be a great film-watching game.”
Harden’s Play
It was a bit of a tale of two halves for Harden. He started out strong and showcased the playmaking ability the Sixers have been missing. This pass to Shake Milton, who ended with 11 points and four assists in his 16 minutes of play, is one that very few NBA players are capable of making.
While Harden got to the free-throw line 10 times, he was inefficient from the floor overall. He finished with 21 points, seven assists, and four rebounds in the matchup. However, the former MVP turned the ball over seven times and shot 4-19 from the field overall. The ugly side of the Harden iso-ball was also seen as he attempted to take over down the stretch and did not find the right balance of playmaking and scoring. With the score tied at 108 and under 10 seconds to play Kevin Porter Jr blocked Harden’s shot which led to the first overtime period. He also missed a chance to get the win at the conclusion of the first overtime period.
It also should be noted that the Sixers threw out the minutes restriction it was reported he was on going into the game. The foul trouble and overtime period resulted in Harden playing 38 minutes in the matchup which is more than the 36.8 minutes per game he averaged going into the game.
Sixers Downfall
There were plenty of issues to nitpick in this Sixers’ loss. Rivers pointed to the defensive issues which certainly were evident, but the lack of effort in rebounding the basketball also jumped off the page. The Rockets secured 16 offensive rebounds and tallied 51 total boards compared to the Sixers’ 39.
De’Anthony Melton led the Sixers in rebounding in the matchup with eight boards. The youthful energy and eye-popping athleticism of the Rockets gave Philadelphia fits with seven different players on Houston’s roster registering an offensive rebound. Embiid especially struggled due to his unwillingness to box out. This has been a theme for the Sixers’ big man throughout his career. While he will always have a high likelihood of grabbing a rebound due to his seven-foot frame, improving fundamentally as a rebounder would help the team greatly.
Both Harden and Embiid made some crucial mistakes down the stretch with the duo combining for eight of their turnovers in the fourth quarter and the overtime periods. Embiid also fouled out at the tail end of the first overtime period after attempting to prevent a game-winning layup. Porter Jr. split the free throw to send it to the second overtime.
This loss can be circled as the most disappointing loss of the season and there is unfortunately some stiff competition for that title. The Sixers still have a ways to go to figure out their identity as a team. Getting Harden back on the court is a step in the right direction and the team will now be waiting for Tyrese Maxey to return whose energy and heart are more valuable to the team than is often given credit. The team has now slipped back to 12-12 on the year after losing three consecutive games on this road trip. They will have a few days off before facing off with the Lakers on Friday and will need a much-improved effort level if they want to get back to having a winning record.
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