Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Sixers cranking up intensity at both ends of the floor
The notion wasn’t new, the statement not original. All James Harden knew when he let it spill last week was that it was as accurate as it was timely.
The Sixers had just lost their second game in a best-of-seven series in Miami, both times by double figures. Their shooting was not accurate, their defense nothing special. Mostly though, their center still had not made an appearance.
If there was a time to panic, it might come later.
If there was a time for perspective, that was it.
“A series doesn’t start,” Harden said, “until the home team loses a game.”
By that decree, the Sixers-Heat best-of-seven has a chance to start soon. By the way Harden and the Sixers played in the last two games — including a 116-108 victory Sunday night — it will probably begin Tuesday night in Miami.
It will begin because Harden is finally showing that he has some of his Hall of Fame form left, shooting from distance with authority and playing a special brand of point guard.
It will begin because Joel Embiid is back and productive at both ends.
It will begin because the Sixers have turned dominating on defense. It will begin because with Harden and Embiid at their best, the Heat cannot compete.
That’s what the better team does at this time of year. And after four games, it’s clear: The Sixers are well positioned to win a game in
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Miami, continue to thrive at home and finally squeeze into a Final Four.
After missing the first two games of the series, Embiid has shown that even while wearing a goalie mask, he is more efficient at both ends than anyone Miami coach Eric Spoelstra has on hand.
“Joel is an MVP-caliber player,” Spoelstra said. “He puts pressure on a defense with the way he attacks, shoots and passes. And he draws fouls as well.”
That was hardly a secret before the series. Yet somehow it was muffled during the first two games when Embiid dealt with a concussion and a busted right orbital bone and Doc Rivers was forced to try to win a couple of tough road games with DeAndre Jordan clocking meaningful minutes.
Yet while Embiid was recovering, he was also regenerating. And when he returned for Game 3, it was just a matter of when the Heat’s spirit would be shattered. That time has come. As it was in Game 3,
nothing came easy for Miami. Every shot was challenged, every drive confronted. And with Embiid commanding attention on offense, it allowed everything else the Sixers had to flow. Suddenly, Danny Green was free to do what he does best and hit open shots. Suddenly, Tyrese Maxey could create highlight plays with less pressure to help make up some of the offense lost when the NBA’s leading scorer was on the bench.
And mostly, with the Sixers revived, James could be what he has become: A valuable point guard with the ability to mix in a scoring burst. That he did Sunday, saving 16 of his 31 points for the fourth quarter.
That completed the puzzle. Rivers was discussing that before the game, mentioning how the Sixers are finding the right time to play as they were designed. Even when he was being ridiculed by talk-radio puppeteers for the Sixers’ 0-2 early-series deficit, Rivers knew that open shots would fall, Embiid would return and that he would have the tools to make the series a long one.
“You build your team all year,” Rivers said. “A great coach once told me that what you’re doing, you’re doing during the regular season. Then by the time the playoffs start, the players are already in place. You may have to move them around, but they are already in place by then.”
The Sixers have better players than the Heat in just about every place, the exception being Jimmy Butler. And Sixers fans lamenting that Harden is not the player he once was could have it worse: They could have Kyle Lowry, who is 36 and looks 37, terrified even to attempt a shot at this point in his decorated career. Bam Adebayo was dominating in the two games in Miami but never has matched up well against Embiid.
“It was very annoying just watching the first two games,” Embiid said. “Obviously, we didn’t make shots, but we also made a lot of mistakes, whether it was offensive rebounding or turnovers. Their big fellow, Bam, was dominating. And I was really annoyed than another big man was playing well against my team.
“That was unfortunate. But you can’t take it back. Now we just have to focus on the next game.”
That will occur Tuesday, Miami hosting. By Harden’s count, the series still hasn’t started. But the Sixers just spent a weekend showing that it might not last much longer.