Game 78: Sixers @ Bucks 4/2 @ 8 pm ET Game Thread

[phillynative]

Embiid didnt play his best but the other two max payed guys didn't step up:

11pts 6assists 5 turnovers
6pts 3reb 3assists

The bench was butt

Maxey was the only one that came to play or could play up against the Bucks defense.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

Embiid didnt play his best but the other two max payed guys didn't step up:

11pts 6assists 5 turnovers
6pts 3reb 3assists

The bench was butt

Maxey was the only one that came to play or could play up against the Bucks defense.

Yeah, that's totally expected from Harden and Harris in games like tonight. I love what Harden has been able to do for us this year, but the guy does ghost at times in big games. He's done it his whole career. He wont do it for an entire series, but he'll do it in a crucial game that we need to win. Tobias...Man...Just forget it at this point. He's just not a big game player, never has been, never will be. Maxey has IT, so does Jo, but we aren't going anywhere unless Harden and Harris can impact the game for us.

[76ciology]

Would you guys prefer us facing the Heat or the Nets? I’d rather face the Nets.

[Bum Adebayo]

I bet Giannis wins MVP now.

Not impossible, but he has won in Milwaukee this time, so it is really the expected thing and not a huge boost to his candidacy, though a bit of a boost for sure, since he played better than Embiid in this game. Giannis won in Philly 1 time, Embiid won in Milwaukee 1 time, so it's balanced when you thing about it.

[Kova]

Would you guys prefer us facing the Heat or the Nets? I’d rather face the Nets.

Nets. They are likely the easiest 1st round matchup out of all 4-8 seeds. Both Raptors and Heat will be physically draining series, while the Knicks are the wildcard.

We need the easiest possible 1st round series in order to stay relatively fresh for 2nd round and potential ECF.

[Ferry Avenue]

If Harden has games like that one in the second round, this team stands little chance of advancing beyond that. They'll get beaten in a home game with him playing like that.

More broadly speaking, this was obviously a game in which the team took the night off. These players know they have to ratchet their game into the stratosphere to beat Milwaukee on the road, and then what would they have to show for it? They're stuck at the #3 seed regardless, and they know it. Why exude that degree of effort when the yield is minimal if anything.

Anytime a team goes out and plays "NBA all-star game defense," you know they're taking the night off. That's what we saw last night.

[Embiid P]

Again, this team lacks the depth specifically at the PG position that is necessary to be able to beat Boston or Milwaukee in a seven game series barring injury to one of their key players. On the bright side, hopefully we only have 4 more regular season games left to put up with Tobias.

[Jailblazers7]

If playoff Jimmy wasn’t such a real thing, I’d prefer to play the Heat. I don’t think they’re very good but we’ve all seen them flip the switch against better teams before.

[Jailblazers7]

Again, this team lacks the depth specifically at the PG position that is necessary to be able to beat Boston or Milwaukee in a seven game series barring injury to one of their key players. On the bright side, hopefully we we only have 4 more regular season games left to put up with Tobias.

yeah I generally agree. Maxey has been lights out for the last 4-6 weeks but if he were two years older I think we’d be a true title team. He’s still just a little too early in his development to actually push us over the top in the way we need him to.

[Bum Adebayo]

We need to have more faith in our guys, I think they are growing from last year, especially Embiid-Harden duo. I think they will really turn it up in playoffs this time.

[Lou_23]

Every time Harden lost the ball is 2 or 3 points to the other team. Is maddening.

[Mik317]

we could lose a series to anyone.

thats been the case all season. By nature of roster construction we have vast holes that teams can exploit. Some nights it doesn't matter or isn't consistent enough but its always there. A better coaching staff would adjust and weaker links like Niang and Shake would be benched in certain matchups but idk if we have the staff or other pieces to do so. Ideally, Harden and Biid play more so it won't matter as much as it has but both guys burn out quickly and thats why they fail in the playoffs. Harden and Biid both NEED to play a certain way and when that way is taken away from them they revert to foul baiting, which doesn't work and then it just them taking terrible shots.... their inibility to play off ball and not be the main option alongside their teams often being full of dudes who only can play off ball and their gravity and can't be first options is the real reason for the flame outs IMO.... I keep going back to it but the Bucks when they won their chip finally had a second way to play beyond Giannis going HB dive on every play lol. It made it harder for teams to just build a wall because they had another ball handler and good passer in Jrue run the show and Middleton randomly hitting MJ shots and doing so at a consistent clip...prior years Middleton wasn't that guy and Bledsoe was one of the WOAT playoff performers lol.

Biid isn't the freak energizer bunny Giannis is and relies a lot on his jumper falling...which dies down when he starts to get tired...which yeah dude is 280+ (again needs to lose some pounds I say from my glass house) so its going to be a thing. Harden is a great passer but a lot of it is still due to the treat of him scoring...my guess is that team will make him beat them on those screens by giving him a semi open lane and just not allowing the pass to Biid...we saw that this game...and if the step back isn't going, you will have him forcing passes or kick out to guys who aren't going to shoot right away. All of this talk of unstoppable offense is funny to me because that literally the simple adjustment IMO. Stay home on shooters, double off PJ or Tobias to double Biid and force Harden to live off of floaters and semi contested layups....gonna have games in which he scores a ton but it won't end in many wins as no one else will be in rhythm. Now of course that relies on there not being any added wrinkles such as using Maxey more in the PNR or DHOs, having the catch and shoot Harden from earlier in the year return, going quicker in general to make the defense scamble and all that but based off of the last few weeks idk if this team has those....and again even if they do I question the other end. All year we have been bodied from the 3pt line it seems..it can't JUST be is what it is every night lol.

I am ready for the playoffs but only because I want to get this over with lol. Even during the good runs it just doesn't feel like this team has IT yknow? A lot of those wins were come from behind after getting into deep holes..which is great and shows some fight but idk if thats something you can hang your hat on... feels like we are super reliant on things that aren't super reliable like basic PNR pick and pop middies....those feel like they either have a short shelf life or isn't enough to keep up with other teams bombing away.

[Bum Adebayo]

IDK I feel good about this playoffs, I think we are going to do damage.

[pr0wler]

For the one millionth time.....Fire Morey and Doc! only way you consider keeping them is if they make it to the Eastern finals....and they won't.

Morey is the reason why we're even contenders in the first place. Stop complaining.

You'd rather have Ben Simmons, who is almost out of the league, and Seth Curry instead of James Harden?

He also traded the corpse of Danny Green for De'Anthony Melton. Signed Tucker. Grabbed House on the cheap (not Morey's fault Doc never plays him). McDaniels is a nice role player and Thybulle was gone this off-season anyway. Thanks to Morey, the 6'ers are now a solid 10-12 deep and theoretically contenders. Way better position than where we were last postseason and certainly much improved since the beginning of last season.

I swear sometimes people on these forums have the emotional control of an 8 year old...

[Bum Adebayo]

I think the main issue is Harden inconsistency, which is understandable given the combination of age, body type and milestone. If harden is to play great regularly in the playoffs, this team can definitely win it all.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

I don't think facing really any team this year in the playoffs is going to be easy. I especially don't think Brooklyn is just going to be some cakewalk. That series is going 6-7 games if we end up playing them. In short, I don't think this is our year. I think we're going home again in the second round. I think Milwaukee is taking it all this year. Our second round series with Boston will go maybe 6 games with them beating us. We just don't have it this year. I think we're still an offseason away.

[NYSixersFan]

For the one millionth time.....Fire Morey and Doc! only way you consider keeping them is if they make it to the Eastern finals....and they won't.

Morey is the reason why we're even contenders in the first place. Stop complaining.

You'd rather have Ben Simmons, who is almost out of the league, and Seth Curry instead of James Harden?

He also traded the corpse of Danny Green for De'Anthony Melton. Signed Tucker. Grabbed House on the cheap (not Morey's fault Doc never plays him). McDaniels is a nice role player and Thybulle was gone this off-season anyway. Thanks to Morey, the 6'ers are now a solid 10-12 deep and theoretically contenders. Way better position than where we were last postseason and certainly much improved since the beginning of last season.

I swear sometimes people on these forums have the emotional control of an 8 year old...

This made me LOL. Completely delusional, but funny.

[FlyingArrow]

I don't think facing really any team this year in the playoffs is going to be easy. I especially don't think Brooklyn is just going to be some cakewalk. That series is going 6-7 games if we end up playing them. In short, I don't think this is our year. I think we're going home again in the second round. I think Milwaukee is taking it all this year. Our second round series with Boston will go maybe 6 games with them beating us. We just don't have it this year. I think we're still an offseason away.

Second round exit looks most likely just because we're a 3 seed. That's when you'd expect a 3 seed to lose. But you have to play the games - we have a realistic chance in any series we'd play.

The #1 seed is a lot more valuable than usual this year. Sixers, Celtics, and Bucks make a very strong top 3 in the conference. I think there's a significant gap between us and the Cavs, so there's a significant advantage to only needing to beat 1 of the top 3 seeds in order to make the finals.

We could lose to anyone, of course, but I think we'll have a 70%+ chance of winning round 1. And from then... we'd be underdogs in each of the next 3 series (if we keep winning, and assuming no other upsets). Underdogs, but every series would be winnable.

[Arsenal]

We’re not losing in Rd. 1 barring injuries. Give me a break. We’ll beat the Nets in 5 or sweep.

The problem comes after that.

[pr0wler]

For the one millionth time.....Fire Morey and Doc! only way you consider keeping them is if they make it to the Eastern finals....and they won't.

Morey is the reason why we're even contenders in the first place. Stop complaining.

You'd rather have Ben Simmons, who is almost out of the league, and Seth Curry instead of James Harden?

He also traded the corpse of Danny Green for De'Anthony Melton. Signed Tucker. Grabbed House on the cheap (not Morey's fault Doc never plays him). McDaniels is a nice role player and Thybulle was gone this off-season anyway. Thanks to Morey, the 6'ers are now a solid 10-12 deep and theoretically contenders. Way better position than where we were last postseason and certainly much improved since the beginning of last season.

I swear sometimes people on these forums have the emotional control of an 8 year old...

This made me LOL. Completely delusional, but funny.

Nice deflection. Specifically state what is so delusional about it.