ECSF Gm 5: 76ers (2-2) at Heat (2-2) | Tue 5/10 7:30PM TNT (EST)

[GoSixersBro]

I have a few questions.

• How did Joel Embiid recover after just 6 days from an orbital fracture to play in Game 3 and 4?
• How did Old Man Green explode for 21 points including 7 threes in Game 3?
• In the same game, how did Tyrese Maxey poop the bed in the first half only to catch fire and propel us to the win with 21 points?
• Lastly, how did 2022 James Harden, who can't jump over a $60 million contract, score only 4 points in the 4th quarters of Games 1-3 only to turn back the clock and deliver a 2018 MVP performance of 31 points including 16 in the final quarter of Game 4?

Listen, I'm definitely not suggesting any of this had to do with me stepping up to the plate and creating these game threads, but are we really going to rule it out? I mean, I may be working magic here. Ask anyone. Ask my friend, who's a friend of Marc Jackson, okay?

Anyway, let's keep it going. First some bulletin board material:

Read on Twitter

You don't say? Be a shame to give the real MVP more fuel halfway through the Playoffs.

Read on Twitter

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Sixers in 6.

[stormi]

Wouldn't trade that dead award given to MVPerimeter liability for Joel's current playoff ascension.

There's an aura around this team. Sky is the limit.

[zaz102]

Sleeping guy is the true MVP

[Arsenal]

Haters beware...

[phiphan]

Hoo boy. Embiid's gonna be fired up.

[Tony Franciosa]

Game 6 in TOR was about as hostile as you can get for playoff atmosphere and we went in and took care of things. I expect we can manage MIA's crowd full of front-running socialites who only get loud when things are going well their way. We got this.

[LloydFree]

I'm pretty pleased at the timing of this announcement. Not really a surprise, because everyone knew once Bones Hyland won the Head-to-head game for Jokic, that would give the Jokic voters their final excuse to make their choice. So it was inevitable, since then. I'm just glad they waited until game 5 on the road to make Embiid want to prove himself.

[Sixersftw]

Poor Bam...

[Jailblazers7]

Wouldn't trade that dead award given to MVPerimeter liability for Joel's current playoff ascension.

There's an aura around this team. Sky is the limit.

100%. I’ve never felt this confident about the Sixers in the entire Embiid era. Embiid is the playoff monster we always hoped for and we have a starting lineup full of ballers so it doesn’t feel like the world is falling apart when he’s not on the floor.

First time maybe ever that I’m excited about playoff games rather than dreading them.

[phiphan]

Game 6 in TOR was about as hostile as you can get for playoff atmosphere and we went in and took care of things. I expect we can manage MIA's crowd full of front-running socialites who only get loud when things are going well their way. We got this.

When Heat fans ramble into their seats five minutes into the 3rd quarter >>>>

[mjkvol]

I was among those who felt that this season was a dry run for what might be accomplished in the next 2-3 years and that we were playing with house money after beating Toronto, but this team has that certain something that winning teams have, kind of an 'it' factor.

If we can get by Miami, I'm not at all scared of MIL or BOS, or of whoever comes out of the West. At the very least, this year is going to be a springboard to greater things in the next couple of seasons, but there's just something really special about this group ............

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

We've been way more resilient this year. We've gotten our asses kicked and in the past that ass whoopin would have just continued, but every time we've gotten smoked, we've responded well. I think this is going 7 games.

[mjkvol]

We've been way more resilient this year. We've gotten our asses kicked and in the past that ass whoopin would have just continued, but every time we've gotten smoked, we've responded well. I think this is going 7 games.

The first real sign that things were different was game 3 in Toronto. That's a game the Sixers of the last few years lose 100 out of 100 times. Winning that game when Toronto had everything to play for and when a letdown would have been expected, especially the kind of close, hard fought game it was, signaled something different about this group.

[Arsenal]

Last night was another. Definitely a game we would have choked in years past. Harden basically dragged us over the finish line by himself in the 4th, something we never had before in the young socialite era.

[Arsenal]

Wouldn't trade that dead award given to MVPerimeter liability for Joel's current playoff ascension.

There's an aura around this team. Sky is the limit.

100%. I’ve never felt this confident about the Sixers in the entire Embiid era. Embiid is the playoff monster we always hoped for and we have a starting lineup full of ballers so it doesn’t feel like the world is falling apart when he’s not on the floor.

First time maybe ever that I’m excited about playoff games rather than dreading them.

Paul Reed is the best playoff backup we've had for Embiid. He's keeping us afloat in the 8-12 mins Embiid sits, whereas in the past we would lose games solely in those non-Embiid mins.

*Aided by having Harden out there with him also.

[FireMorey]

That's why I picked the Sixers to win this series even after the Embiid injury news. This team just has different vibes this year. Maybe they'll fool everyone, they've done it before, and they'll come out like they did in games 4 and 5 vs Toronto and lay 2 eggs back to back. But I doubt it. Yes, winning game 3 was impressive vs Toronto, but the game that sold me was game 6. The Sixers just came out and blitzed Toronto with all the pressure of blowing a 3-0 series lead. And frankly, the Sixers are just harder to guard with Simmons gone. Not all of it is just a vibe, it's x's and o's. It's a lot easier to choke in the playoffs when you have a guy who's afraid to shoot and a zero offensively in 4th quarters. Even Harden in games where he's not scoring a bunch, you have to respect him or he could go off on you. Simmons didn't have that threat.

Also, I think the Sixers getting to the ECF this year of all years where things looked so bleak with Embiid's injuries, it would be vindication after all the years of choking.

[zaz102]

I think this team is solid. They have three guys that can take over in a game. And they have two guys that can contribute in big spots. And they can all play solid D (or icyhot D). The Big 3 have a high level of variance though. The hope is that combined they can be consistent to the level of a Giannis, but we'll see. It's certainly nice having Harden run the point. He's not MVP Harden, but I'm not sure how many players out there I'd rather have running the point in the playoffs which was one of our biggest weakness prior to this year.

The other thing is their bench is a big drop off, so any injuries are huge. And of course the best player on the team is playing with a messed up face.

The one concerning thing is how they let Toronto back into the series. I think its possible they thought that since they were so ahead, they completely lost focus. If so, its unlikely they do so against stiffer competition. Im feeling like if they are able to keep the focus and no more injuries happen, they should be competitive in any series. Unfortunately, a lot of great teams left so it won't be easy. Even beating Miami after getting in a 0-2 hole will be tough even though they tied it up. Just takes them one game to throw a surprise counter punch and a hot shooting night.

[LloydFree]

I know this is a 76ers board, so people are caught up in the moment about this year's MVP, but Steve Nash's MVPs were far more fraudulent than Jokic's. Jokic, at least, has a statistical argument. Steve Nash as MVP, even once, was a disgrace to the league.

[Jailblazers7]

I know this is a 76ers board, so people are caught up in the moment about this year's MVP, but Steve Nash's MVPs were far more fraudulent than Jokic's. Jokic, at least, has a statistical argument. Steve Nash as MVP, even once, was a disgrace to the league.

Yeah, Jokic without a doubt had an MVP caliber season. People are just mad this time because there are so many people that voted for him because their calculator told them to.

[SixthStreet]

Jokic had one of the best seasons a C has ever had in NBA history. Our guy performed better and is better. Both true.