The Sixers didn’t play their best game on Monday night and still covered the double-digit spread with a 12-point win. They’re up 2-0 on the undermanned and overmatched Brooklyn Nets in round one of the playoffs.

It really was an ugly and low scoring affair in the first half, and the home team couldn’t hit anything. Wonderful offensive basketball it was not. Joel Embiid turned the ball over early, James Harden couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn, and yet somehow they only went into the break down five.

“Oh, we were fortunate,” Doc Rivers said of the halftime deficit. “We really were. We could’ve scored more, too. I don’t know, I just thought at halftime they could’ve been up more with the way we played. I didn’t think we helped ourselves. We’re a better team than the way we played in the first half. But this is what the playoffs are about. It’s going to test your trust at times, so that was an early test for us and we came through.”

Ultimately, the game changed when Doc took that timeout just two possessions into the second half and delivered the inspirational “c’mon guys” speech:

This could be the basketball version of Nick Sirianni’s watering and fertilizing speech, which kickstarted a Super Bowl run. And it’s funny, because we laugh at the simplicity of the message, but most of that coaxing is implied. The Sixers knew they were playing like ass, and so “c’mon” can roughly be translated to something like “alright, are you guys gonna fucking show up and play, or what?”


They came out out of that break showing some zone on defense while on the offensive end feeding Embiid above the nail and abusing the corners on sequences like this:

Brooklyn tried a variety of stuff against Embiid in game two. They showed their traps and doubles, went super small at times, then also tried Nic Claxton and Royce O’Neale straight-up. It was a mixed bag with an overall positive outcome for 2.5 quarters or so, as the MVP candidate turned the ball over eight times while putting up just 11 field goal attempts and getting to the line eight times. If you asked Jacque Vaughn about those numbers before the game, he likely would have been very happy, but Embiid played a smart game within the framework of what he was given to him, grabbing 19 rebounds and throwing seven assists while involving the guys around him.

“A lot of people think I just love scoring the basketball which I don’t think it’s true,” Embiid said. “I enjoy winning, and doing whatever it takes to win. Some nights, I might have to shoot and score a lot. Some nights, I’m going to get double teamed and make the passes, but I believe in playing the right way, which is getting your teammates involved, making sure everyone touches the ball and sees the ball. That’s what I believe in.”

“In game one, the way they were double-teaming him and (Monday night) as well, just for him to be able to be patient (was huge),” said Tobias Harris of Embiid. “Especially in the second half, he did a really good job of picking apart their defense by seeing where the double-team was coming from and making the early pass right away. And we were just able to allow them to play catch up from there. And then swing, swing, get some open threes and some open drives. Tuck did a great job of being in the corner and making great passes to get guys open looks. It’s the playoffs, so you have to evaluate how the other team is playing and adjust on the fly. It’s not like the regular season when you’re playing a different team that has a different guy who can guard Joel a little better than the night before. They’re showing different looks out there. He’s seen every type of defense throughout the year. For him, it takes a few minutes to settle them for what it is. He’s doing a great job of allowing his teammates to flourish out there on the floor and that’s bringing us a lot of energy.”

Speaking of corner threes, the Sixers tried eight of them in the second half and hit four, a smooth 50% to complement a 48% mark from the field in the 3rd and 4th quarters:

That’s an analytically-friendly chart there and really helps exemplify the offensive outburst that changed the game in the half.

Some other thoughts:

1) Tyrese Maxey was fantastic in this game. 33 points, 6-13 from deep, and 13-23 from the field. He was launching from three, pushing the tempo, and just dragging the offense along with him when things had yet to click. Excellent game for him.

2) James Harden was 2-11 from the field before hitting an early fourth quarter three. He finished with eight points and couldn’t get anything to fall, but he still did a nice job quarterbacking the offense in the second half and being a point guard, even if the shots weren’t falling.

3) Harris had a couple of key buckets coming out of halftime, a dunk, a steal, and a three, when the Sixers cut into the lead and took over for good. He finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds and that series of 5-6 possessions coming out of Doc’s timeout is really where he shined. Harris has been working from the dunker spot as well, while Tucker goes out to the corner:

“That’s new. They want me down there to be able to finish but also, I think I got one where I kicked out to Tyrese [Maxey] as well. So, just being able to make a play there. I’m not going to give out the whole game plan, but it is to be versatile in that spot to create space. That’s the biggest thing: See where the defense is coming from and how we can get an open look for three or an open layup.”

Keep an eye on that, because it’s a relatively new wrinkle. Tucker in the corner, Harris in the dunker spot where Ben Simmons used to play.

4) Paul Reed had a couple of nice moments again in this one, especially during the non-Embiid fourth-quarter minutes. It got a little hairy there with Spencer Dinwiddie hitting a couple of shots, but Reed made some hustle plays to keep things from getting too far out of whack. I’m not so sure about that illegal screen whistle around the eight-minute mark, but he’s a young guy and not a star and he’s not going to get the benefit of the doubt with those calls. Regardless, Embiid left with a five-point lead and came back with a five-point lead.

5) Cameron Johnson had 22 points in the first half and just 6 in the second half. He went cold against the zone, and if he and Mikal Bridges aren’t filling it up, Brooklyn just doesn’t have enough offensive firepower to keep up. Where else is their offense coming from? Spencer Dinwiddie? They have some nice pieces but seriously lack for star power.

6) Is it just me, or does Joe Harris miss a ton of open looks? Can’t remember the last time the guy hit a big shot.

7) Playing Embiid at or above the nail really opens up the entire floor. He did a great job seeing the traps and doubles from that point, which puts both corners into play. If he’s catching elbow-high, he has to throw a tougher pass to the weak side corner, but when you play him straight out from the rim, he can pretty easily whip the ball to either side based on where the Nets are sending that help. Good Xs and Os kind of stuff to break down there, maybe for a follow-up post later today.