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The Sixers are the NBA’s Most Clutch Team
By Matt Schultz
Published:
The Sixers beat the Bulls 127-121 on Sunday to improve to an Eastern Conference-best 9-2, and once again, they did it in the clutch. They’ve been doing this a lot. Out of the 11 games they’ve played so far, 8 of them have come down to clutch situations (games that are within 5 points in the last 5 minutes), and they’re 8-0 in those contests. It’s been pretty nuts to watch, and LeBron was asked about the team’s coolness under pressure after the Chicago win:
“We have a lot of guys that’s been in situations, late game situations, and we have a no panic button. You know, we understand that we gotta get stops on this end, but if team’s making a run we understand how to be calm on the other end as well.”
Everything LeBron said here matches the eye test: the team really does look calm as hell when the game’s coming down to the wire. In moments where you’d expect guys to get sped up or force passes or chuck up bad shots – especially young guys, like VJ or even Maxey – these Sixers do the opposite. They’re patient with the ball. They’re still looking for the extra pass. If they have a transition opportunity or a mismatch, they’ll attack it, but if they don’t, they’re not forcing it. Despite the pressure, they’re playing very simple basketball. I thought this moment from the Bulls game was a great example:
Get in the lane, draw two defenders, find the right pass on the kick out, hit the three. This is just good ball. What a nice thing. And the fact that the Sixers can execute at this level when the pressure it highest is such a benefit for this team — and executing is all they’re doing.
In clutch time this season, the Sixers are outscoring their opponents 86-67 while shooting 52.2% from the field (24-for-46), 50.0% from three-point range (9-for-18), and 90.6% from the free-throw line (29-for-32), all while committing just 4 turnovers. Tyrese has really been shining in the clutch, and the stats bear that out: he leads the squad with 30 clutch points on 6-of-11 shooting and 15-of-17 at the line without a single turnover. He’s been the star of the show, for sure, but I think it’s worth pointing out that Joel has been excellent, too.
Embiid has 15 points and a team-high 5 assists (!!!) in clutch time, often catching the ball at the nail while Maxey zips around him in the two-man game; he has so many options in this action. Joel can pitch back to Maxey, kick out to the corner, or face up and hit the elbow jumper. It’s a great look they seem to have already mastered (crazy, considering this team has played just 11 games together), and it’s entirely dependent on Joel making smart decisions out of it, which is exactly what he’s been doing.
LeBron’s presence can’t be overstated, either. His clutch-time stats don’t pop off the page (8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 turnover), but it feels like the team is adopting his late-game calmness. The guy has been in every basketball situation there is. He’s never going to be surprised or rattled or overwhelmed by anything happening on the floor, and it seems like the Sixers are playing that way too.
And as we all know, it pays to be clutch. The Knicks were the best clutch team in last year’s playoffs, going 6-3 (.667) across 9 clutch games. Here’s to hoping these crunch-time reps pay off for the Sixers down the line.
Matt Schultz is a comedy and sports writer from Philadelphia. He’s written extensively for ClickHole, The Onion, and Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco. His work has been featured in Vulture, Deadspin, The A.V. Club, Paste Magazine, and other publications. Much of his sports journalism can be found on college basketball websites that don’t exist anymore (PhilaHoops Heads rise up…) email: M.Schultz@sportradar.com