20 Second Timeout

Joel Embiid Returns, 76ers Stifle Heat in 99-79 Win

Joel Embiid had MVP level impact--if not MVP level numbers--in his return to action after suffering a concussion and orbital fracture, and it is not a coincidence that his Philadelphia 76ers won 99-79 after losing the first two games of this second round series versus the Miami Heat. Embiid finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 5-12 from the field, but he anchored a stout Philadelphia defense that held the Heat to 27-77 field goal shooting (.351) after the Heat shot .471 from the field in the previous two games. The 76ers shot 16-33 (.485) from three point range after shooting just .219 from beyond the arc in games one and two. Tyrese Maxey and Danny Green led the 76ers with 21 points each. All of Green's shot attempts were three pointers, and he connected on 7-9. 

James Harden came close to "scheduling" the 2-11 "concert tour" date that he has "scheduled" in several previous playoff games and that I--only half jokingly--suggested that he will schedule for an elimination game in this series. Harden finished with 17 points on 4-11 field goal shooting. He also had eight rebounds, six assists, and seven turnovers, so his performance was all over the place with a mixture of the good, the bad, and the ugly. His plus/minus number of +27 during a game in which he shot .364 from the field, gave the ball to the opposing team seven times, and scored just two second half points is a great example of why plus/minus numbers in small sample sizes should sometimes be taken with a grain of salt.

Before the game, Mike Wilbon, not known for making historically accurate or relevant comparisons, compared Embiid's imminent comeback to Willis Reed's comeback in game seven of the 1970 NBA Finals. "Screamin' A" Smith used Embiid's comeback as an excuse to take yet another gratuitous shot at Ben Simmons, saying that Simmons would not have played if he had been in Embiid's shoes, acting as if Simmons missed games on a whim and not because of a back injury that required surgery. Sensible people understand that (1) playing in game three of a second round series is not as historically significant as playing in game seven of the NBA Finals, and (2) Simmons has nothing to do with this series so there is no reason to take a cheap shot smearing his name--and it is even more unseemly to do so in light of the reporting that Simmons has some mental health issues. Legitimate criticism of Simmons' performance and of his decision to not play at the start of the season when he was healthy are both fair, but why target a player who is not even participating in this series and who is recovering from back surgery?

Jimmy Butler scored a game-high 33 points on 12-22 field goal shooting, but his Heat teammates left their focus and their jump shots in South Beach. Most notably, Miami center Bam Adebayo feasted during Embiid's absence with a team-high 23.5 ppg on blistering .714 field goal shooting, but with Embiid in the building Adebayo's numbers shrank to nine points on 2-9 field goal shooting. The 76ers, with Embiid's presence in the paint, deserve more that a little credit for Miami's offensive offense, but it is also fair to say that the Heat uncharacteristically lacked game plan discipline, and that they played without their usual physicality.

The 76ers set the tone from the start, jumping out to an 18-8 lead, but they also committed six turnovers in the first quarter, and those miscues helped the Heat to trim the deficit to 21-17 by the end of the stanza. Harden led the way with nine first quarter points, while Embiid added eight points. Tyler Herro scored six first quarter points for the Heat, but then he disappeared for most of the rest of the game, finishing with 14 points on 5-15 field goal shooting.

The second quarter began in similar fashion, with the 76ers riding a 9-0 run to extend their lead to 30-17. Both teams continued to struggle to score, and the 76ers clung to a 41-34 halftime lead despite shooting 12-35 (.343) from the field and committing nine turnovers. Harden scored 15 points on 3-6 field goal shooting, but he did most of his damage from the free throw line (8-8). He looks like a different player when he earns--or, sometimes, is given--free points. Harden's four first half turnovers helped to keep the Heat within striking distance. Embiid shot just 2-7 from the field but he led both teams with seven rebounds, and his physical presence at both ends of the court made a significant impact. The Heat shot 14-43 (.326) from the field. Butler led the Heat in first half scoring (10 points) and rebounding (six), but he shot just 4-11 from the field. Herro did not score in the second quarter, missing all six of his field goal attempts.

The third quarter had the same script as the first two quarters, with the 76ers pushing their advantage to 51-37 before the Heat made a 20-6 run to tie the score at 57. Butler scored 14 points during that stretch. The 76ers led 68-65 heading into the fourth quarter. Green topped the 76ers in third quarter scoring (nine points on 3-3 field goal shooting). Harden, limited to six third quarter minutes due to foul trouble, did not score and missed both of his field goal attempts. 

With the game up for grabs, the Heat squandered a great opportunity to take a 3-0 lead that would have, for all practical purposes, signified the end of the series. The Heat shot 3-15 from the field in the fourth quarter with a very unusual division of labor: Butler shot 3-3, and his teammates shot 0-12. Harden was the only player on either team who played all 12 fourth quarter minutes, so his bloated plus/minus total reflects his participation--or, to be precise, his attendance--during garbage time minutes as he contributed two points on 1-3 field goal shooting yet had a gaudy +17 plus/minus number in the final 12 minutes.

I did not expect or predict a sweep even if Embiid never played a minute in this series. It will be interesting to see if the 76ers can win game four to send this series back to Miami tied 2-2, or if the Heat will reignite their dormant offense to move within one win of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals.

Labels: Danny Green, James Harden, Jimmy Butler, Joel Embiid, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Tyler Herro

posted by David Friedman @ 10:52 PM

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