Game 1: Sixers @ Bucks 10/26 @ 7:30 pm ET TNT Game Thread

[ankle420breaker]

Refs decided this one for us.

I try not to be that guy, but both marginal contact calls off some extensively deliberated reviews benefited Milwaukee (kind of an ambiguous explanation to determine outcomes).... and Giannis clearly caught his own miss before Dame connected on a pivotal 3.

That said, Embiid was way off and we missed free throws all night. We were right there despite it all. Next frame.

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[76ciology]

The Sixers win if the NBA didn't conspire against them in this game like they always do. Hopefully fans can put to bed the "Whoa is me, the Sixers are so far behind the Bucks!" narrative after tonight. No one's running away with this conference and the Sixers will be right in the mix for the #1 seed all season.

That's my thinking. We're right there with Milwaukee and Boston.

I find Boston to be on another level over Bucks and Sixers. Specially in the playoffs.

Bos is more versatile, deeper and doesnt run vanilla schemes like the Bucks

[76ciology]

Bucks defense on Embiid
- letting him shoot unless he makes 2 3s (caught on camera)
- pushing the pace and gassing him out if he tries to take it inside

[Murray_17]

I don't agree with the move but the strategy was pretty obvious. He just bet that the maybe 3% chance of getting the call overturned gave a better chance to win (since the Sixers would get the ball down by 2) than the real but not huge advantage advancing the ball would give, in the unlikely event Dame missed a FT.

I understand that, i just think he had a better option going for a quick 3, fouling and then advancing the ball. Or just advancing the ball, call for a play, fouling and then whatever.

That Challenge was just trying to bother the refs

[76ciology]

I wonder if you could hire somebody at the arena with advanced camera system to see if those calls should be challenged then have them message you through your apple watch or somebody on the stand to give you a sign lol

[M2J]

Regardless, they were going to lose this one unless Joel was special. He's not ready yet

But they have what they need to replace Harden and to be better defensively. Harden wouldn't have helped.


Oubre took Harden's girl and his spot

[HotelVitale]

I don't agree with the move but the strategy was pretty obvious. He just bet that the maybe 3% chance of getting the call overturned gave a better chance to win (since the Sixers would get the ball down by 2) than the real but not huge advantage advancing the ball would give, in the unlikely event Dame missed a FT.

I understand that, i just think he had a better option going for a quick 3, fouling and then advancing the ball. Or just advancing the ball, call for a play, fouling and then whatever.

That Challenge was just trying to bother the refs

They were pretty f'd once the call was made though. Dame's gonna hit both FTs and your odds of winning after that are really, really small. Like I said I still would've taken that over the challenge but it's not a major/costly blunder.

[76ciology]

Basketball is much better when you have 5 scoring threats on the floor where defense doesnt know which angle to defend.

That is why Im not that high on the Bucks and at the worst case, I dont think we’d be that worse compared to last season

Embiid just need to get used to this style of sharing the ball. He also needs to adjust when he’s gassed on offense, i believe he becomes TO prone on this situations. Guys probably have to help him by coming to the ball and understand his limitations.

Reducing Biid’s TOs while having him make his average % at the line could have won us this game.

[Jay555]

I like Kelly and have been praising him. But note that he's streaky as hell.

When he's on, he's on. When he's not on which is most of the time lol, I hope he does not get flamed.

Well, the bottomline is he's way cheaper than Tobi and does most of Tobi's job.

[Jay555]

Basketball is much better when you have 5 scoring threats on the floor where defense doesnt know which angle to defend.

That is why Im not that high on the Bucks and at the worst case, I dont think we’d be that worse compared to last season

Bucks would only be good when Ginniais knows how to shoot.

[phillynative]

Tucker: 25 minutes, 0 points
Green: 13 minutes, 0 points
Beverley: 13 minutes, 2 points

Joel Embiid is a proven loser, but Nick Nurse is a dope for playing these trash vets and getting NOTHING out of them. What's the difference between he and Doc Rivers, if this is the case?

Yea I think he could of tried House or Kork for a few to see if they could contribute something. House and Korkmaz can bring the ball up and pass to maxey just like Beverly was doing lol

[76ciology]

Basketball is much better when you have 5 scoring threats on the floor where defense doesnt know which angle to defend.

That is why Im not that high on the Bucks and at the worst case, I dont think we’d be that worse compared to last season

Bucks would only be good when Ginniais knows how to shoot.

Even so, you can just swarm him and then closeout to guys like Crowder or Connaughton letting them attack via dribble.

And if we ever had Doncic in the place of Embiid, teams can also swarm Doncic and let Embiid create on offense which will make him gassed to carry the defense on the other end.

I think Bucks should run more read and react offense and have other guys be more involved. I think Bucks need to have Beasley be more involved in off ball actions. Then Middleton also has to cut more to the basket. There should be more movement.

Take away Giannis and Lillard, their best scorer was Brolo with 13pts. Middleton only took 5 shots.

Giannis took a lot of challenged shots. Lillard has to bomb a lot of deep 3s. Thats not gonna make you win against good teams in a 7 game series. Refs wouldnt be favoring them like this if its not G1 of a home opener.

The reason why Bucks won the finals is they have multiple threats (they had good versions of Middleton and Brolo. Sometimes even Jrue), versatile units (they even had Tucker playing SG), then Giannis heroic.

[HotelVitale]

DOUBLE POST

[HotelVitale]

Tucker: 25 minutes, 0 points
Green: 13 minutes, 0 points
Beverley: 13 minutes, 2 points

Joel Embiid is a proven loser, but Nick Nurse is a dope for playing these trash vets and getting NOTHING out of them. What's the difference between he and Doc Rivers, if this is the case?

I'm telling you, PJ must be blackmailing Josh and Daryl by threatening to release a sex tape or something else scandalous of them if he does not play significant minutes. That's the only plausible explanation I have.

The 4-5 good players we have are already gonna play BIG minutes so someone else has to play. I thought Tucker played pretty alright today, Green looks useless besides competent rotations on D, Beverley was fine as a low volume guy to bring the ball up and play D (which is all he's ever been). I'd obviously rather see more Springer but we just have bad options this year. There's no Niang, McDaniels and Shake out there to eat up those minutes.

[76ciology]

We needed Tucker on defense. He played well on defense against Giannis. If you replace Tucker with Oubre, Giannis would not be scoring just 23pts on 22 shots.

[76ciology]

Paul Reed is still Paul Reed. He just hired Ben Simmons’ hype machine team during the offseason.

[Jailblazers7]

We needed Tucker on defense. He played well on defense against Giannis. If you replace Tucker with Oubre, Giannis would not be scoring just 23pts on 22 shots.

But Tucker’s poor spacing makes it so we can’t play Springer & get cooked by Dame instead. Probably a good example of how this Giannis/Dame duo is difficult to form a lineup against. There aren’t many lineups that can withstand Giannis’s physicality & has elite perimeter defense to guard Dame.

[76ciology]

We needed Tucker on defense. He played well on defense against Giannis. If you replace Tucker with Oubre, Giannis would not be scoring just 23pts on 22 shots.

But Tucker’s poor spacing makes it so we can’t play Springer & get cooked by Dame instead. Probably a good example of how this Giannis/Dame duo is difficult to form a lineup against. There aren’t many lineups that can withstand Giannis’s physicality & has elite perimeter defense to guard Dame.

I didnt see Tucker hurting our spacing this game. But I saw his defense limiting Giannis around 7 points below his average.

You also dont have much option. Melton was not making his shots. Oubre had two costly TOs and was burned by those drives by Dame.

[Jailblazers7]

The 4-5 good players we have are already gonna play BIG minutes so someone else has to play. I thought Tucker played pretty alright today, Green looks useless besides competent rotations on D, Beverley was fine as a low volume guy to bring the ball up and play D (which is all he's ever been). I'd obviously rather see more Springer but we just have bad options this year. There's no Niang, McDaniels and Shake out there to eat up those minutes.

True. It’s kinda the NBA kiss of death when Kelly Oubre is this important to your lineup.

[Kobblehead]

Springer should be getting ALL of Pat Bev's minutes.

Green should be there for a vet presence in the bench and lockeroom. Not a guy that plays on gamedays. We don't have much on the wing, but at least House and Korkmaz have athletic bounce and movement skills.