Sixers

Gentleman’s Sweep – Observations from Sixers 129, Wizards 112 (Game Five)

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Jun 3rd, 2021 · 9:12 AM EDT

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When Joel Embiid is out, it’s on the other Sixers to step up, and that’s what happened in a 17-point thrashing of the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, an opponent that stuck around early but just didn’t have enough to keep up in the second half. They were politely escorted out the door via gentleman’s sweep.

It’s just the first round, and the Wizards stink, but you have to be really happy with what you saw last night. Seth Curry went for a playoff career high. Ben Simmons logged a triple-double while shutting down the intentional foul routine. Tobias Harris poured in 28 and the bench did its part in contributing 40 points.

“It really was a great team win,” said Doc Rivers. “I just love how they played. We got down early but no panic set in. I really believe that (our guys) thought they were the better team. I thought they played with that type of confidence. For one day of changing (our approach), going small, installing our spread stuff we were running, for us to execute that well, it shows how focused we were. We didn’t have a lot of time to work on a lot of stuff, but they did it. So I’m really proud of all them. Ben was incredible, Tobias was incredible, and Seth, what can you say? But everyone was incredible. Tyrese came in, Furk gave us a big lift. Dwight Howard in the second half was huge. It was what you would call an all-hands team win.”

Beyond that, it was a good analytics game. Good peripheral statistical stuff. They limited Washington to 20 three point attempts and logged five more field goal attempts. They got to the foul line 43 times, even without Embiid on the floor. They forced 15 turnovers while only committing eight, blocked six shots on the evening, and even though the Wizards were getting to the rim early, they started to settle for midrange looks as the Sixers tightened up and the game progressed, finishing with a shot plot that looked like this:

You’ll take that any day of the week, and Rivers coached a good game as well. He nailed his second-half lineups and settled into an Embiid-less rotation that made a lot of sense. Now they get a few days of deserved rest before hosting Atlanta on Sunday.

“Sleepy Seth”

I mentioned in a previous recap that there’s a Crossing Broad member who refers to Seth Curry as “Sleepy Seth” because he thinks he disappears in games and doesn’t take enough shots.

Obviously that person, who we will not name, is in hiding this morning because Curry went for a playoff career high of 30 points and took 17 field goal attempts, which is the highest number he’s posted all season. It’s not profound to say that a 45% three pointer shooter needs to shoot the ball, but when you’re option 3 or 4 or 5 on any given night, of course those opportunities aren’t going to be there. In this case, with Embiid out, he really played a more assertive game and started firing early and often, which kept the Sixers in this one when Washington was playing well to start.

Afterward, Curry said Simmons called his 30-piece:

“Call of Duty: Warzone, we were playing before out pregame nap and he said ‘I’m gonna need 30 from you and I’m gonna get a triple-double so we can close it out.’ We were able to get it done. “

And that’s exactly what happened. The Sixers ran a lot more offense through Curry and he responded with a playoff career high.

Seth Curry had Rui Hachimura on his way back to the nations capitol #HereTheyCome pic.twitter.com/J9vP2K4uEr

— Branded (@branded_sports) June 3, 2021

Hack-a-Ben

We got first half Hack-a-Ben from Scott Brooks.

The result?

3-4 from the line. They abandoned it after Simmons went 75% from the stripe, which equates to 3 points / two possessions for 1.5 points per possession (PPP). That’s a number that is going to make Brooks scrap the strategy, and it’s really that simple. Ben hits his free throws and the whole thing goes away.

“He did (show a lot of poise),” Rivers said afterward. “I keep saying stick with him, he’s a hell of a player. Just stick with him. He’s a hell of a player but he’s also a human. He’s going to have some great games, far more great games and less bad. That’s who he is. He does so much for the team. We kept him out there because Scott (Brooks) decided he wasn’t taking Bradley Beal out, and we had to give Matisse a rest and then we put Ben on him. We anticipated they were going to rest Beal, and they didn’t. Ben was dying out there, they all were, but they hung in there.”

On the night, Simmons shot 5-8 from the line, which is 62.5%, and right around his regular season average of 61%. That’s what he’s been this season and throughout his career, in that range, and as long as he’s hitting at this clip the Hack-a-Ben routine isn’t going to be employed. It doesn’t make sense for a team to intentionally foul a player that is hitting above 60%.

For what it’s worth, Simmons probably should have finished this series with two triple-doubles. In Game Two, he was sitting on 29/9/8 but Rivers yanked the starters at the end of the third quarter because the Sixers were just blowing the Wizards out of the water. Ben played a good series and even though some of the criticism he gets is warranted, a good portion of it was overblown in this round.

Rotational stuff

This was your starting unit –

• Ben Simmons
• Seth Curry
• Danny Green
• Matisse Thybulle
• Tobias Harris

They stuck Thybulle on Beal to start and went with Simmons as a small ball five, which obviously sacrificed some rim protection for spacing and three-point shooting on the offensive end. But that’s alright; that’s the tradeoff that lets you set up a good defensive perimeter and play to Simmons’ strengths as a playmaker.

The first sub was George Hill for Green at the 5:20 mark. Dwight Howard came in around a minute later for Thybulle and we got first quarter Tyrese Maxey and Furkan Korkmaz as well.

The Maxey/Shake Milton storyline looks like it’s not much of a storyline right now. Maxey has clearly outplayed Milton, and absolutely deserves minutes right now. In the second round, coaches are typically playing nine-man rotations or bumping it down to eight in a close series, so we know that Hill/Howard/Thybulle are bench guys 1-3 when Embiid is healthy. Maxey getting minutes would bring us to nine, and then that would leave Korkmaz and Milton as the odd men out. Korkmaz can give you some shooting punch if a team shows you some zone, but right now it’s just hard to see Shake fitting in at all.

Pregame Embiid

He came out to warm up before this game and didn’t seem to look uncomfortable:

Joel Embiid working out pregame

What do you think?

Yeah doesn’t look like he’s wearing anything special on his right knee

Definitely perfecting the Dirk one legged fadeaway with the small tear in his lateral meniscus pic.twitter.com/wEiQSbWl1T

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) June 2, 2021

That’s a good sign. The injury update made it sound like the “small” meniscus tear was worse than perhaps it really is. Ideally you’d love for the Sixers to win Game One and/or Game Two against Atlanta without him, but it looks like he’ll be ready when needed.

(I’m not a doctor but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.) 

Other notes

• The crowd sounded fantastic on TV. The end of the first half sounded like the 4th quarter.
• Meek Mill rang the bell. Yawn. Dude is a traitor. He performed in 2019 at the Patriots Super Bowl after party and should be disowned.
• The refs did indeed suck. Just way too many whistles in general. Flow of the game was terrible for various stretches.
• Doc Rivers successfully challenged the Beal three-pointer that in fact was not deflected. It was basically a waste of the challenge because the ref who was out of sight overturned the original call. But, that’s two straight games with successful challenges for him.
• Robin Lopez’s headband almost fell off a few times in this game. He’s gotta just go with the hair tie and it’ll keep it in place.
• Maxey really brings a lot of “directness” to the floor with that straight-line drive ability. Seems obvious to state, but the Sixers really haven’t had many/any of those guys in recent years.
• Likewise, good to see Korkmaz come in and shoot right away. He didn’t shy away from anything or give up the ball. He knows he’s in there for his offense.
• Great Dwight Howard game. 12/8/3 with three blocks.

We thank the Washington Wizards for participating in the 2021 NBA playoffs.