It looked like the Sixers defense would have a night down at some point.
He came on Saturday against former coach Doc Rivers. The Clippers fired 52.9 percent from the floor, scored 28 points from Kawhi Leonard and 24 from Paul George and scored 122-112 at the Staples Center.
By Saturday, the Sixers had a 100.1 defense rating from the All-Star break, per Glass Cleanup, pretty much the NBA. They are now 32-14 on the season and will continue their road trip Tuesday night against the Nuggets.
Tobias Harris led the team with 29 points on 13-for-19 shooting, seven rebounds and six assists. Ben Simmons added 15 points, seven rebounds and two assists before knocking out with 8:22 to play. Dwight Howard was sent off for a second game in a row after recording nine points and 11 rebounds (more on that below).
Joel Embiid (left bone brush) and George Hill’s new addition (right thumb surgery) are both out. The Sixers have not provided a definitive timeline for when the second player will return but have given a pre-game injury update, saying Embiid has progressed well and on-court basketball activities have resumed -start while building up his position. The team said Hill will begin court proceedings in the coming days. Hill underwent surgery on Feb. 2 to treat a mallet finger injury of his right thumb and has not played since Jan. 24, while Embiid has been ruled out since suffering a knee injury on 12. March.
The Clippers were without Patrick Beverley (sore on his right knee) and Serge Ibaka (lower back tight).
Here are some thoughts on losing the Sixers:
Clippers target weak, protective areas
Stopping George and Leonard is not easy, and the Clippers got desirable matchups with screens that forced the Sixers into suboptimal switches.
The Sixers are hopeful that Hill, who is 6-foot-4 with 6-9 wingspan, can be an asset in those situations. For example, they might have felt more comfortable with Hill turned to Leonard than with Furkan Korkmaz or Seth Curry. Even if a player who is considered among a team’s weaker defenders does not have a difficult individual designation, good coaches often tailor the offense until he is asked to stay in front of stars, especially in the playoffs . Credit Tyronn Lue, Rivers Patron, for doing just that.
Transition defense was a problem for the Sixers at times before the All-Star break, and that issue resurfaced Saturday in the first half. Los Angeles scored the same 12 quick points at the game, and they all came before half-time.
The Clippers, who led the league with a three-point shooting percentage of 41.6 into the game, made up 11 of 26 on Saturday night (42.3 percent).
Mike Scott was the Sixers ’starting point for a second straight game and did not effectively defend the edge or back, which made the overall defensive work of the team more challenging. Scott also lost five of six three-point attempts.
Harris lives in a zone
Harris excelled as a ball handler and passer in the first half, making the right readings on when to look for his own picture out of the pick and choose, when to post up and when it would find open players.
Overall, Harris’ extended flexibility has been very important for the Sixers this season. River coaching has been a part of that, along with the improved range that has coincided with the construction of a newer roster, but the individual development of Harris has been crucial. Having a third star who can successfully defend multiple positions and accept a number of better offensive positions will allow Rivers to put other players in a position to succeed.
Harris is very confident right now in his sweet spots, and for good reason.
Simmons was frequently used in this game as a screenwriter and post player. He had some nice moments in both positions, including a pickup-and-roll layup with Harris and a cross-court one-handed pass from the post that established Scott’s corner three.
Turning again was an issue for Simmons, who made six of the ’16 Sixers.
When Hill becomes available, he will give the Sixers another ball handling option and possibly another reason to use Simmons in more pick-and-rolls.
Howard threw again
Rivers was not happy when Howard was sent off Thursday night against the Lakers.
“I just thought it was a very self-made play,” he said. “You have one technology, you can’t get another. … I know it’s an emotional game, but it’s a veteran. We need better control. “
We’ll see what he has to say after his 35-year-old man was sent off again in a game where the Sixers were cut short in the middle.
Howard apparently found technical jokes in succession to argue with the officers. While it was a horrible, physical game with frequent whistles, it’s clear the Sixers can’t afford to call Howard for technical things or be cleared coming the postseason.
In other mountain-related developments, Shake Milton had nine points in his first stint, playing strongly and at a fast pace. He finished with 16 on a 6-for-11 shooting.
However, Milton’s result did not give the Sixers’ second unit a real advantage, as Terance Mann’s excellent – almost flawless, in fact – offensive line. The Florida State production had 23 points on a 10-for-12 shooting.
The day after he signed a regular NBA contract, Paul Reed played the final 3:50. Athlete Derek Bodner report that Reed’s contract is at least three years old NBA contract, with the second and third years without a bet.