There are stories that never end. And the one of the Sixers leaving his fans with honey on their lips is one of them. Once again, missed opportunity. Joel Embiid has brushed (and continues to brush, but in a different way) with his fingertips playing his first Conference finals and has come to nothing, along the way and forced to play a seventh game in the Garden in which they can pass (with the Celtics everything is possible), but where there are already fewer options. It is not the most important occasion that the Sixers have had: in the background the ignominious defeat against the Hawks still resonates, whom they were winning 3-1, in 2021. But it is one of the most painful: against the eternal rival, a franchise with which a special rivalry is forged, after a titanic series of many peaks and that has had everything and, above all, at the Wells Fargo Center, before its audience. A bullet that had to go straight to the heart and that cannot be missed. And one round, the Eastern Finals, which has not only been without stepping on Embiid since he arrived in the NBA, but also eludes the Sixers since 2001when Allen Iverson allowed Philadelphia to dream of the ring. 22 years have passed. Too long a wait for a city that knows and understands basketball.
The Sixers were winning 83-81 with just over 4 minutes remaining in the game. At that moment, a triple by Jayson Tatum took away a lead that they would never recover. Tatum repeated from the outside, Marcus Smart got a basket, Tatum unleashed another two triples … and good bye. The result ended with an incontestable 86-95. The final partial favorable to the Celtics, motivated by their exalted and omnipresent star, was 3-14. A very short baggage in a period of time in which, not only the green leader scored at will, the Sixers also failed tirelessly: 0 of 10 in shots from the field since they were 2 up (with more than 5 minutes to go). the end), a gargantuan, endless, endless crisis. That it came again at the right time, when it was worse for some and better for others. Again, at the moment of truth, you shake and your wrists shook for the Sixers. And Tatum emerged in the same way that others have appeared on other occasions. So are the things. It seems fate, which does not save space for those from Philadelphia. A team doomed to lose.
And that all is not lost, but the feeling is now unequivocally bad in a scale that has tipped accurately and entirely on the Celtics’ side. Joe Mazulla made changes, brought Robert Williams into the starting lineup to wear down Joel Embiid and definitely cut the rotation to seven players. The green center finished with 10 points and 9 rebounds and had a good game. Marcus Smart went to 22+7, with 7 assists; Jaylen Brown added 17+6+4 (but 4 turnovers) and Al Horford disappeared in attack (5 out of 2, with 0 out of 2 in three pointers), but he managed in defense: 11 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block and 3 personal fouls. But the reason for the victory was, of course, Jayson Tatum: the protagonist (one of them, but to romanticize the situation) that the Celtics were losing during the first 44 minutes was also responsible for the comeback. He scored 16 points in the last quarter and 12, with 4 of 4 on triples, in the last 4 minutes. He appeared, and it is what is often required of him, at the moment of truth. That’s when his team is in crisis and he has to be the hero. The Boston franchise is 9 wins away from winning the ring. Flashes of talent are no longer enough: they need the best Tatum on a constant, sustained basis. All the time.
And the Sixers? Like never, like always. They scored 8 of 34 in triples and barely 36% in field goals and, even so, they were with options and ahead on the scoreboard with 4 minutes remaining. Another undeserved gift that they did not take advantage of. They lost the fight for the rebound incontestably (38-50), and barely distributed 17 assists. The turnovers of their rivals (up to 17) kept them in the game. Joel Embiid went to 26 points and 10 rebounds, Tyrese Maxey got another 26 and James Harden stayed at 13+7+9, but 4 of 16 from the field and 5 turnovers. In its already typical irregularity shown in this series. Doc Rivers, by the way, can lose another playoff series in which he has been ahead and the Sixers say goodbye again in another key year of the project, already with the farce around Ben Simmons far away and being Embiid an MVP with an award but without a crown. The seventh round seems to depend more on the Celtics’ demerit than on the chances of their rivals. It is the never ending story. Once again, the Sixers wasted an opportunity. The endless story.
|
1
James Harden |
|
12
Tobias Harris |
|
14
Dewayne Dedmont |
|
twenty-one
Joel Embiid |
|
17
PJ Tucker |
|
5
Montrezl Harrell |
|
twenty
Georges Niang |
|
30
Furkan Korkmaz |
|
25
Daniel House Jr. |
|
8
De’Anthony Melton |
|
18
shake milton |
|
7
Jalen McDaniels |
|
0
Tyrese Maxey |
|
44
Paul Reed |
|
eleven
Jaden Springer |
| Min | pts | RT | RO | DR | Ast | Per | rec | Tap | T1 | T2 | T3 | FR | CF | Val | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
James Harden | 43 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 5/5 | 4/10 | 0/6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
12
Tobias Harris | 41 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0/0 | 1/6 | 0/1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
14
Dewayne Dedmont | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
twenty-one
Joel Embiid | 40 | 26 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8/8 | 9/17 | 0/2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
17
PJ Tucker | twenty | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 2/7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
5
Montrezl Harrell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
twenty
Georges Niang | 14 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
30
Furkan Korkmaz | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
25
Daniel House Jr. | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/1 | 1/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
8
De’Anthony Melton | 23 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0/0 | 0/1 | 0/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
18
shake milton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
7
Jalen McDaniels | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
0
Tyrese Maxey | 40 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5/6 | 11/6 | 3/9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
44
Paul Reed | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
eleven
Jaden Springer | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
36
Marcus Smart |
|
42
Al Horford |
|
57
Mike Muscala |
|
91
Blake Griffin |
|
7
Jaylen Brown |
|
13
malcolm brogdon |
|
0
Jason Tatum |
|
9
Derrick White |
|
40
Luke Kornett |
|
44
robert williams iii |
|
12
Grant Williams |
|
eleven
Payton Pritchard |
|
30
sam hauser |
|
99
Justin Champagne |
| Min | pts | RT | RO | DR | Ast | Per | rec | Tap | T1 | T2 | T3 | FR | CF | Val | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
36
Marcus Smart | 41 | 22 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3/4 | 5/7 | 3/8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
42
Al Horford | 39 | 2 | eleven | 1 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0/0 | 1/3 | 0/2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
57
Mike Muscala | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
91
Blake Griffin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
7
Jaylen Brown | 38 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4/5 | 5/10 | 1/3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
|
13
malcolm brogdon | 30 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 2/5 | 4/6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
0
Jason Tatum | 42 | 19 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5/5 | 1/10 | 4/11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
9
Derrick White | 19 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0/0 | 0/1 | 3/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
40
Luke Kornett | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
44
robert williams iii | 27 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2/2 | 4/7 | 0/0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
12
Grant Williams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
eleven
Payton Pritchard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
30
sam hauser | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
99
Justin Champagne | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |