It was a hard-fought game against the Warriors, but the Sixers came up short in the end. Revisiting the good, bad, and ugly from the game.
Joel Embiid shined, then faltered, meanwhile Steph Curry took the Sixers’ defense for a 49 point ride. It was quite the night for the Sixers that just, unfortunately, resulted in a loss. Here’s a look at the good, bad, and ugly from tonight’s game.
Sixers Recap
The Good
Joel Embiid set the tone tonight, coming up large with 28 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists. The Sixers’ star center is in the midst of a strong MVP campaign. He was by far the best player on the court; it just wasn’t enough.
Matisse Thybulle also had himself one of the best games of his career. It may not show up in the +/-, Thybulle was clearly playing on another level tonight. It was his offense that stood out in particular tonight.
While he still played stellar defense, no one expected Thybulle to go 6/11 from the floor for 13 points, but the team will take that any chance they get. Thybulle has shown the potential for an offensive game is there; he just needs to do it on a more consistent basis.
The Bad
For the first three-plus quarters of action, it was a brilliant night for one Joel Embiid. However, as we’ve seen many times before, being the only scoring option wears on the Sixers’ big man, especially against a team as smart as the Golden State Warriors.
Embiid was gassed when he came in with seven minutes left to play, and in the time, he turned the ball over three times. It was a terrible stretch to an overall good game by the Sixers star that truly showed how much he missed having Tobias Harris.
Other than fourth quarter Embiid, the “bad” was clearly anyone attempting to guard Steph Curry. His brother Seth initially did a good job defending the Warrior’s legend, but that wasn’t made to last. Doc Rivers tried Danny Green, Matisse Thybulle, and even George Hill, but no one could come close to slowing Curry down as he piled up 49 points.
The Ugly
Shake Milton was the ugly for the Philadelphia 76er tonight. While the entire bench struggled defensively (minus Thybulle, of course), Milton had a very rough go on both ends. He finished the night with five points, three assists, and three turnovers while going 1-7 from the field.
It’s odd, but it seems like Milton’s success may hinge on George Hill’s ability to adapt to his new team. Milton will be able to let his game come more naturally if he’s not relied upon as the team’s primary ball-handler (after Simmons). Milton’s shooting percentages are obviously down (33.8% from three), but when he’s working off-ball, he’s much more efficient (38.5%). It was an ugly night for Shake Milton, but he’s certainly able to bounce back.
Next Game Up For Sixers
It’s tough to lose this game, especially how they lost it, but the team has to move on and hope to improve in their next game. The team will next face the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night at 7:00 PM EST.
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