The Philadelphia 76ers (39-32) saw old friend James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers (44-26) for the first time this season. The Sixers played a very complete game and led for most of it, taking a 121-107 victory.
Let’s break down the Sixers' first matchup of the season against Harden.
76ers player notes:
Tyrese Maxey: 24 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, 9-16 FG shooting
Maxey got superstar treatment from the Clippers' defense, getting little to no room at all to create offense. It didn’t stop him from making plays where he could. His playmaking was very solid and, per usual, he turned it on in the fourth quarter and scored a flurry of clutch buckets to wrap the game up.
Tobias Harris: 24 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 11-189 FG shooting
Harris was so, so much better against the other LA team. He shot the ball with confidence and sensational efficiency, going downhill without fear and ripping the nets with crisp jumpers. His impact cratered in the second half but his incredible first half boosted the Sixers in a major way.
Cam Payne: 23 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 8-15 FG shooting
Payne reached a new season-high in points, celebrating his handful of triples by skipping back on defense. On top of being someone who generally plays hard, his smooth scoring repertoire has been huge for the 76ers. He's always ready to shoot and can get right into a floater/layup in an instant.
Clippers player notes:
James Harden: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 14 assists, 5-12 FG shooting
Harden, facing his former team for the first time, excelled at making plays for others (which the Sixers saw plenty of) and scoring inside the arc (which the Sixers didn’t see a lot of). His shooting from beyond the arc was atrocious, though, and it limited his impact.
Kawhi Leonard: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 7-16 FG shooting
This wasn’t the best game for Leonard, though he got over a shaky first half and was a thorn in the 76ers' side the rest of the way. However, like Harden, he shot very poorly from deep.
Game recap:
At long last, the 76ers faced off with the disgruntled star who defined their last offseason. The drama coffers were stuffed over and over until they exploded, resulting in the most public instant of a player calling out a team executive we might ever see. Any build-up to this game has been long gone as Philly looks to simply stay competitive in the playoff picture amid Joel Embiid's injury recovery. This game still did provide guys like Nico Batum to visit their former home and for the current Sixers to see their former teammates.
Former Sixer P.J. Tucker was sidelined and Kyle Lowry was held out due to rest. Buddy Hield took his spot in the starting five.
1st half
Kelly Oubre Jr. guarded Harden, Harris guarded Kawhi Leonard and Buddy Hield guarded Paul George. Harris hit three straight shots for seven quick points. The Clippers brought Ivica Zubac all the way up to the level of screens for Maxey, daring Mo Bamba to beat them on the short roll. Instead, the Sixers looked for (and got) corner triples, using Bamba's roll to their advantage and hitting the open man after LA's rotation took them to the big man.
Harden matched Harris' hot start with eight points of his own, muscling his way around the floor and propelling his squad as Leonard took a minute to get going. The Sixers led by as much as 11 points, swishing from beyond the arc at a blistering rate. They started turning the pressure up against Leonard on defense when Harden and George subbed out, which gunked up LA's offense. Philly rode its offensive groove to a 12-point lead after the first quarter.
Batum didn’t appear in the first quarter and didn’t start the second, cutting Philly's rotation to eight players initially. Maxey and Harden matched up with each other as the Sixers' Maxey-Payne backcourt made things happen in transition, growing the lead. KJ Martin pitched in with some pivotal defensive plays and Jeff Dowtin Jr. made an appearance, suggesting firmly that Batum would only play in the event of an emergency. Philly led by as much as 17 points.
The Clippers started to chip away, sending more attention Maxey's way and hitting some threes created by Harden. But Harris' hot hand didn’t extinguish. He took it to the paint and made a smart cut to save Oubre trapped in the corner, hitting a fadeaway jumper to beat the shot clock. The Sixers went back up by double figures but allowed a Clippers run that cut into it.
Philly's great half was due to more than just shooting luck. The Sixers hustled on defense and made good rotations while taking ideal shots and moving the ball, which fueled their efficiency. All nine players had at least three points through the first two quarters but with Leonard starting to wake up on offense, the quest for a W was far from complete.
At the half, the Sixers led 63-56.
2nd half
Like they were shot out of a cannon, the Clippers jumped out to a run that brought the game to one point. Oubre got blocked by Zubac on a dunk and hit the deck really hard, sending him back to the locker room. Dowtin subbed in and took the Harden assignment. The middle of the floor opened up more for Maxey and he looked to take advantage as Philly's offensive mojo declined. Amid Oubre's absence, Harris found it harder to get the shots he wanted, resulting in some bad ends to possessions.
Oubre returned to the game, scoring a second-chance push shot as the Clippers threatened to take the lead. Maxey started to make more of an impact, driving with confidence and setting up teammates as Zubac started playing a more typical drop coverage. Oubre emphatically swatted away a George layup from behind and then Maxey slipped a layup right by Zubac. Then Oubre drew an offensive foul.
The Clippers realized that Maxey was thriving with more space and brought Zubac back up to the level of the screen. But the Sixers, with Payne back in to provide a spark, kept the ball moving and found ways to score. Philly led by five heading into the fourth quarter.
LA turned to Mason Plumlee for the first time at the start of the fourth quarter. He finished a lob from Harden but the 76ers looked to expose his lack of speed in the open floor with pick-and-rolls and handoffs with Paul Reed. George contributed to Philly's efforts with brutal turnovers. Plumlee got in on the fun and the Sixers went up by 11. Maxey drained a pair of triples and the Clips called timeout.
Harris scored his first points of the second half and Maxey got two tough layups to drop as the 76ers looked like they could run away with it. Payne continued to cook, making it up to 20 points and making seven of his first 12 shots. Coupled with the hustle plays he makes throughout the game, he continues to make a great case for playoff minutes. The Sixers went up by 20 points.
The Clippers had no answers and started to empty the bench with rookie forward Kobe Brown coming in with a little over five minutes left. Ricky Council IV and D.J. Wilson, whose 10-day contract was made official earlier in the day, followed soon after.
Assorted observations:
- Oubre's passing has popped extremely well as of late, a fantastic development for the Sixers that should really shine when Embiid comes back. With his defensive playmaking also shining, he's looking like a potential X-factor in a playoff series.
- As seen in a joking headlock, Harden and Maxey are still very close and friendly.
The 76ers' final game of this road trip is against the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.
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