R1G2 - 76ers vs Nets - Apr 17 7:30pm ET TNT

[Ferry Avenue]

I mean yeah if all of Maxey Harris and Harden have bad games while teams are focusing on taking out Embiid they will probably lose that night.

If all three of them have bad games on any night they'll likely lose.

The issue isn't whether Maxey and Harris are going to have bad games -- it's that when Embiid is being limited and Harden is "hungover," it forces Maxey and Harris to have uncharacteristic and unlikely good games -- both of them. That won't happen often.

Harden has to pick up far more of the Embiid slack when teams are focusing on limiting him. He can't just be "a passer" under those conditions.

Charles Barkley said it well at the half. Said essentially the same thing.

The real question is why Harden doesn't take note of a game like last night's early on and take it upon himself to pour in 30+ points. When you see the opposing team going all out to shut down your MVP-level superstar and far and away high-scorer, anybody with any drive at all would experience it as an opportunity to capitalize and help carry the team with an all-out effort of one's own. That's conspicuously absent in Harden, however. Instead it was a third-year guy with hardly the resume'.

Well he basically did that in game 1.

I feel like you're acting like it's a coincidence that he wasn't very aggressive on a night that Maxey and Harris when off when those two things are fairly related.

But yeah I'm sure they'll have games where they lose because Harden doesn't step up enough. They play 7 game series luckily so hopefully not too many.

The fact that there is a mere single playoff game in which Embiid is the subject of double- and triple-teams and Harden doesn't respond with an aggressive scoring effort is problematic. There should be zero playoff games of that ilk.

[GoSixersBro]

The GB, man. Celtics fans complaining about Embiid and Harden flopping while driving to the net after cheering on Paul Pierce for 15 seasons is priceless. I still can hear that yelp Pierce let out each time to this day.

[Jailblazers7]

I find it hard to believe any team will double as aggressively as the Nets have through 2 games. It’s not really working despite them having a solid group of defenders in Bridges, Johnson, DFS, and Claxton. It’s just a hope & pray strategy because they have no front line.

[Sixteen]

Good second half win.

They're f'd going forward if Harden doesn't get right though

Refs need to stop swallowing their whistle. It affects his game when he's getting fouled and not getting calls. Embiid called them out in post game.

I don't think that's the issue. He doesn't look right physically. He couldn't do anything in the lane game 1 either, the step back was just falling.

And you know damn well he's not getting those foul grifting calls in Boston either.

He looked pretty good to me, had some bounce in his step. The shots just weren't falling. I'm okay with a tight whistle as long as it goes both ways.

[Ferry Avenue]

I find it hard to believe any team will double as aggressively as the Nets have through 2 games. It’s not really working despite them having a solid group of defenders in Bridges, Johnson, DFS, and Claxton. It’s just a hope & pray strategy because they have no front line.

The problem comes when teams are as effective with that as the Nets were last night and they're far better than the Nets at scoring themselves. Then you could very well lose because of it.

[Bum Adebayo]

I find it hard to believe any team will double as aggressively as the Nets have through 2 games. It’s not really working despite them having a solid group of defenders in Bridges, Johnson, DFS, and Claxton. It’s just a hope & pray strategy because they have no front line.

The problem comes when teams are as effective with that as the Nets were last night and they're far better than the Nets at scoring themselves. Then you could very well lose because of it.

Yeah you are obviously describing Celtics, we simply need a better Harden to have a chance.

[Ferry Avenue]

I find it hard to believe any team will double as aggressively as the Nets have through 2 games. It’s not really working despite them having a solid group of defenders in Bridges, Johnson, DFS, and Claxton. It’s just a hope & pray strategy because they have no front line.

The problem comes when teams are as effective with that as the Nets were last night and they're far better than the Nets at scoring themselves. Then you could very well lose because of it.

Yeah you are obviously describing Celtics, we simply need a better Harden to have a chance.

...and Milwaukee.

Both teams have double-barreled scorers. This team needs that as well (i.e., Harden).

[M2J]

The problem comes when teams are as effective with that as the Nets were last night and they're far better than the Nets at scoring themselves. Then you could very well lose because of it.

Yeah you are obviously describing Celtics, we simply need a better Harden to have a chance.

...and Milwaukee.

Both teams have double-barreled scorers. This team needs that as well (i.e., Harden).

Well the strategy didn't work 1st game at all. They were outstanding offensively. set a record with 3s. 2nd game, they struggled in the first half, and turned it on with their defense, I also feel they were a little cocky too and went away from the gameplan. I think Philly has enough offense that the double and triple Embiid strategy is not that effective, I don't think they even opened up some of the strategies that could be used against this. The Nets were also a bit wild in the first half, they were mucking up the game and the refs let them get away with a lot. Philly became the aggressors defensively in the 2nd half.

[Ferry Avenue]

Yeah you are obviously describing Celtics, we simply need a better Harden to have a chance.

...and Milwaukee.

Both teams have double-barreled scorers. This team needs that as well (i.e., Harden).

Well the strategy didn't work 1st game at all. They were outstanding offensively. set a record with 3s. 2nd game, they struggled in the first half, and turned it on with their defense, I also feel they were a little cocky too and went away from the gameplan. I think Philly has enough offense that the double and triple Embiid strategy is not that effective, I don't think they even opened up some of the strategies that could be used against this. The Nets were also a bit wild in the first half, they were mucking up the game and the refs let them get away with a lot. Philly became the aggressors defensively in the 2nd half.

The strategy has worked because it's produced a largely non-replicable response by the Sixers in both games -- 1) an extremely good game from beyond the arc, and 2) Maxey and Harris's combining for 50+, with the team's nonetheless scoring only 96 points. The Sixers have essentially been lucky the Nets are a woeful offensive team.

[Murray_17]

The Sixers shot below their averages in game 2, if you give guys who shot close to 40% on 3 open shots it's normal they can shot 50% or even above that.

I don't know what game you're analyzing.

The Nets aren't doubling because they believe is THE way to stop Joel, they need to double because Claxton cannot go with Joel on single coverage. Boston doesn't need to double that aggressive with Horford and Williams nor the Bucks need to do so with Lopez and Giannis.

I'm more worried about stuff like clogging lines for the Embiid/Harden PnR, that's much more effective than doubling and it's something guys like Smart or Jrue can easily do.

[Ferry Avenue]

The Sixers shot below their averages in game 2, if you give guys who shot close to 40% on 3 open shots it's normal they can shot 50% or even above that.

I don't know what game you're analyzing.

The Nets aren't doubling because they believe is THE way to stop Joel, they need to double because Claxton cannot go with Joel on single coverage. Boston doesn't need to double that aggressive with Horford and Williams nor the Bucks need to do so with Lopez and Giannis.

I'm more worried about stuff like clogging lines for the Embiid/Harden PnR, that's much more effective than doubling and it's something guys like Smart or Jrue can easily do.

"The Sixers shot below their averages in game 2..."

That's the point I'm making -- their performances have been largely non-replicable. Notice the three-point shooting effort in game 1 wasn't replicated in game 2. Neither was Maxey and Harris's 50+ points in game 2 exhibited in game 1. Two games, two wins via largely non-replicable means.

The most reliable thing this team has going for it is Embiid's scoring -- the Nets have taken a lot of that away, and so the team has been forced to win with less reliable (i.e., non-replicable) means.

When a team is making you win via non-replicable means, it isn't a good sign. Sooner or later the chickens are likely to come home to roost. And that may come against a different team that uses a similar defensive strategy but is better itself offensively.

[Jailblazers7]

A team being able to win games in different ways is not a bad thing. In fact, having multiple avenues to victory means you don’t have to play predictable, easy to defend offense like Sixers teams of the past.

Will Harden be good enough in a Boston series? Maybe…maybe not we’ll find out soon. But the fact that we can win by double digits when Harden sucks & Joel only shoots it 11 times isn’t a bad thing.

[Sixercise]

a couple of posters nitpicking this game ad nauseam won't reveal anything new we don't already know about this squad (regarding the sleepwalking). However, the fact that our rebounding has considerably improved is a testament to how good this defense is. For us to turn the ball over too much (yet still win by double digits) is a really good harbinger of things to come IMO.

[spikeslovechild]

The GB, man. Celtics fans complaining about Embiid and Harden flopping while driving to the net after cheering on Paul Pierce for 15 seasons is priceless. I still can hear that yelp Pierce let out each time to this day.

Forget Pierce. They cheer for Smart now.

If you have Marcus Smart on your team you lose any right to complain about flopping. Just shut up and watch the game

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

[spikeslovechild]

Yes Harden and Embiid flop but the Celtics literally worship a guy whose two skills involve flopping and taking charges.

[SixthStreet]

Flopping is taught as a method to induce charging calls. I think it's dumb to complain about it. Your favorite team does it, your sworn enemy does it.

[Stanford]

Flopping is taught as a method to induce charging calls. I think it's dumb to complain about it. Your favorite team does it, your sworn enemy does it.

I think everyone would just prefer if no one did it.

[phillynative]

Flopping is taught as a method to induce charging calls. I think it's dumb to complain about it. Your favorite team does it, your sworn enemy does it.

Yea but Smarts flopping is egregious. That last game with Celtics vs Sixers he blatantly flopped twice during the last play with Tatum.

[Sixteen]

Embiid almost has to flop because he's so big. He has to sell the calls or else teams will just be extra physical with him. His exaggerated reactions are usually from legitimate fouls. Hardens rip through move is baiting, but how often does he outright flop? Refs let the outside noise and fans who do not like our team & city (there's alot), tighten the whistles they give us.

[Sixteen]

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