COMMENTS
With less than two minutes to play in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series, the Philadelphia 76ers had the ball right where they wanted it.
Josh Richardson fights All-Star center Joel Embiid in the post, where Celtics center Enes Kanter was ready to defend him. Embiid had just dropped two important free throws to give his team a 94-92 lead, giving him his point total on the night at 30. But there’s where it would stay.
When Embiid took Richardson’s pass, Embiid soon became a double team. He saw to it that the ball bounced harmlessly off the post, though. Marcus Smart then had a third chance at scoring, but a last ditch challenge made sure that he didnt. Instead of potentially leading by two possessions with 90 seconds to go, the Sixers found themselves behind one.
Smart’s key steal was another example of its positive impact.
“He just made a lot of winning plays,” said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. ‘He has not seen the ball yet by not going as he was used to, but it has not even affected him. The man is all about one thing and that is winning. He was great again last night. ”
The 76ers, however, had another chance to put pressure on the Celtics, though. On the very next game from Philly, the team got the ball back to Embiid, who this time looked to attack the dribble. As Jayson Tatum tried to get a goal back and pushed forward through the middle 27 minutes into the game. Embiid collapsed on the floor, pounding a fist in frustration.
With an easy transition box that was busy, Richardson unfortunately made a clear path error on Tatum, which meant the Celtics would get two free throws and retain possession.
The back-to-back cover sank the Sixers – and their playoff hopes. With Boston’s bonus possession as a result of the clear path error, point guard Kemba Walker beat Al Horford with a step-back jumper and gave his team a fourth point margin with 65 seconds left. In other circumstances, that lead probably means no game over.
But with this iteration of the Sixers, who shot down an abyss 29.5 percent from the field and 23.1 percent from three, it was. Philly remained scoreless for the last two minutes of the game.
After the 102-94 defeat, Embiid said he thought he was buried on the second of the two collisions. The league’s last two-minute report will reveal if the officials have made the right decision.
Regarding his other mistake, Embiid shrugged the blame. Passing double teams has been a constant point of emphasis for the 7-footer.
“I turned it around,” he said. ‘That was a big mistake. That struck me. ”
Sixers coach Brett Brown called the two plays “disappointing.”
“There’s the game,” he said. ‘I do not think you can minimize that or say it in any other way.
That, what now?
No one would have blinked an eye if the 76ers had just rolled into Game 3, so the fact that the team put in a competitive effort is a positive development. The Sixers’ 20 offensive rebounds reflect their efforts, but, as Brown noted, 20 offensive rebounds require quite a few missed shots. Plus, Philly went 5 out of 15 over those extra possessions.
“We just couldn’t make a shot,” Brown said. “We just couldn’t make a shot.”
That same level of commitment will have to return on Sunday in Game 4, if the Sixers want a chance at victory. Both Brown and Embiid drank in that they intended to make a profit and dismissed the idea that the motivation to do so stemmed solely from pride.
“Like, I understand,” Brown said. ‘I get it. Everyone would assume that this series is over because we are 3-0. I’m not trying to be Knute Rockne with my sincere opinion that we should come in and play the game and get a win. ”
Embiid added: “I do not want to be fired. I do not want that on my resume. Like I said, I played my ass off. I’ll get in there and do everything I can to make sure we win a game. ”
After every game, Embiid promises to do more and more and more – and he has. But his few fourth-quarter errors blew his biggest chance to carry his team.
“It sucks, but you can not give up,” said Embiid. “We can do it.”
