76ers dealt an inexcusably bad loss
“Preparation, Process, Parade” is a mantra Doc Rivers has the 76ers focusing on this season.
“That’s the only things on our minds,” Dwight Howard said recently, “preparing every day, going through the process. Hopefully the end of the year, we’ll have a parade.”
But the Sixers know winning the title and having that end-of-season parade won’t come easy.
“We’ve just got to go out every night and lock in on our goal, which is to dominate every game,” Howard said.
They’ll definitely have to play better than they did Saturday.
Under the circumstances, this was the Sixers’ worst loss of the season. The Cavs (13-21) came into the contest minus six players on the regular roster due to injuries and personal reasons.
“I thought we had one quarter with energy, the third quarter,” Rivers said. “Other than that, they basically got the shots they wanted all game. If they didn’t, they got the offensive rebounds. They got the back cuts when they needed them.”
The Cavaliers executed their offense, while the Sixers had a tough time doing the same. They struggled in the half
court.
The Cavaliers’ young guard tandem of Collin Sexton (28 points) and Darius Garland (25) combined to burn the Sixers for 53 points.
“I thought we played in random all game, which shows a lack of discipline,” Rivers said.
Cleveland outscored the Sixers, 62-42, in the paint and outrebounded them, 53-46.
The setback dropped the Sixers to 22-12. This was just their third loss in 17 home games. They’re still a half game ahead of the Brooklyn Nets atop the Eastern Conference standings.
The Sixers were outscored 20-17 in the overtime. Joel Embiid (12 points, on 4-for-5 shooting) and Ben Simmons (four points, 1-for-1, a last-second three-pointer) scored all but one of their points in the extra session. The other point came on a Shake Milton foul shot.
“We had a chance to win the game, which was a freaking miracle with the way we played,” Rivers said. “But overall, especially in the overtime, they had so much more energy. They were happy to go to overtime, and we were not. You can literally see it.”
That goes back to Rivers’ mantra.
Before the game, the coach said he thinks the players heard the third part. Rivers, however, is more focused on the first two
parts, because you have to do those two things first to get anywhere.
“I want our guys to hear that,” the coach said. All-Stars Embiid and Simmons are definitely listening.
Embiid is the front runner for the league MVP, while Simmons is a candidate for the defensive player of the year. They both had stellar games against the Cavaliers.
Embiid finished with 42 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Simmons had 24 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and one steal. If there was one negative, it was Simmons’ seven turnovers.
Here’s a look at the best and worst awards:
Best performance
Joel Embiid gets this in a losing effort. The league MVP finished with game highs of 42 points and 13 rebounds to go with six assists, two blocks and one steal. He scored 12 of the Sixers’ 17 points in overtime.
Worst performance
Seth Curry gets this. The Sixers shooting guard struggled mightily, shooting 1-for-13 to finish with four points. Curry missed six of his seven three-point attempts. It’s obvious the aftereffects of COVID-19 has affected the sharpshooter’s game.
Best defensive performance
Danny Green gets this. The Sixers small forward had a game-high three blocks to go with two steals.
Worst statistic
This goes to Curry’s shooting.
Best statistic
This goes to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ points in the paint. They outscored the Sixers, 62-42.
Worst of the worst
This goes to the Sixers losing to a team that only dressed nine players. Some may point out that the Sixers were playing without Tobias Harris, their second-leading scorer. That’s not a excuse for this debacle.
As much as Harris means to the Sixers, the Cavaliers would have loved to have played without just one key player. Matthew Dellavedova (concussion), Andre Drummond (personal reasons, seeking a trade), Kevin Love (right calf strain), Larry Nance Jr. (left hand fracture), Taurean Prince (personal reasons), and Cedi Osman (lower back spasms) were all sidelined.