The Philadelphia 76ers (29-16) got their first look of the season at the Portland Trail Blazers (21-24) at the Moda Center in the fourth game of their road trip. The Sixers gave their fans that stayed up to watch a scare as they came too close for comfort from blowing a huge lead. They hung on for the win by a score of 105-95.
Let's break down the Sixers' win over Blazers.
Sixers player notes
Joel Embiid: 32 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks, 12-122 FG shooting
As evidenced by his seventh straight 30-burger, he is still very good at basketball. By fighting for space near the hoop and hitting jumpers, he overwhelmed the Blazers' defense (though shoutout to Drew Eubanks for a good effort). By looking to get to the hoop early in the shot clock, he got lots of easy chances to score. Although he racked up a lot of fouls, he also came through with some emphatic blocks and the victory.
James Harden: 16 points, 10 rebounds, 14 assists, 6-11 FG shooting
In his fourth triple-double of the season, Harden once again did most of his damage with his playmaking, as he tallied six assists in the opening frame. He was able to get downhill against numerous Portland defenders and shot efficiently from the field. His fourth quarter was up and down but ultimately provided enough good to help Philly get the win.
Tyrese Maxey: 15 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 7-12 FG shooting
Maxey hit his first three shots of the night, finding the hoop on several creative takes to the bucket. In the second half, he didn't find much success, though his ability to haul in a fourth-quarter outlet pass on the run and finish through some contact was extremely impressive and clutch. Even with some struggles, he seems to be getting into more of a groove as a sixth man.
Trail Blazers player notes
Damian Lillard: 25 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 6-21 FG shooting
Always a threat to go off for a ridiculous shooting night, Lillard shot terribly in this one, connecting on just one of his first 10 shot attempts. He also coughed the ball up a lot and was mincemeat on defense. Some of it was good defense from De'Anthony Melton and Matisse Thybulle but some of it was just him having a huge off-night. Although he provided some better play in the fourth quarter, he struggled mightily overall and committed six turnovers.
The Sixers have struggled to contain several star guards as of late, so seeing them hold one of the NBA's most dangerous scoring guards in check was a refreshing change of pace.
Jerami Grant: 24 points, 5 rebounds, 0 assists, 8-14 FG shooting
The former Sixer — it feels like a lifetime ago that he was sharing the court with a rookie Embiid and the likes of guys like Robert Covington — started off the game somewhat well, which couldn't be said of the rest of his teammates. He was able to get to the hoop and get good shots off on top of drawing fouls. Although he left a lot to be desired on defense, he was steady as a scorer, which gave the Blazers enough life to make a real comeback effort.
Anfernee Simons: 16 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 6-15 FG shooting
Like Lillard, Simons did not have a great game and was a key reason why the Blazers fell into a massive hole to start this one. He eventually had some nice buckets (and defensive plays) in the second half but still had a pretty rough night overall, committing five turnovers.
Game notes:
1st half
- The Sixers' big men played more up to the level on pick-and-rolls against Lillard and it helped the Sixers gunk up the Blazers' offense (as did some sloppy passing from Portland). While they scored just two points in the first five minutes, the Sixers had 11. Embiid was responsible for six of them and kept scoring in the EmBeard pick-and-roll.
- Maxey provided a great offensive spark off the bench, scoring six straight points, while Philadelphia continued to shine on defense. The Sixers allowed only 14 points in the first quarter.
- Matisse Thybulle took care of business guarding Lillard in the second quarter. His efforts were highlighted by an intercepted pass taken to the house and forcing Lillard into picking up his dribble early, resulting in a pass that Harrell knocked away and secured.
- The Sixers picked the right game to have a brutally cold shooting night from deep. Despite their struggles to connect from deep, they got whatever shot they wanted against Portland's miserable defense and generated takeaways like it was second nature.
- Heading into halftime, the Sixers led 57-34. The Blazers had 13 made field goals and 11 turnovers while Philly had 23 buckets and four turnovers.
2nd half
- The Blazers came out with some renewed energy to start the second half, forcing a few turnovers while Melton committed two fouls right out of the gate. The Sixers were still able to score with ease, getting buckets (a pair of twos and threes) on four consecutive possessions.
- Embiid got himself into foul trouble by picking up his fourth foul in the third quarter. Doc Rivers moved him to the bench and the Blazers got some good looks at the rim, including a thunderous dunk by Lillard.
- Portland went on a 14-0 run (including when Embiid was in) to make things interesting in the third quarter. The same bench unit that looked really good in the first half looked rough in the second. Shake Milton hit a pair of big shots to partially minimize the damage.
- Georges Niang continued to show his love for clutch triples by hitting two to start the fourth quarter — one of which was a step-back. The Harden-Embiid pick-and-roll continued to generate some results for Philly, especially on a huge dunk from Embiid, but not enough to firmly put the game away.
- The Blazers got the lead down to seven thanks to some crisp ball movement and the ability to both draw and hit foul shots. Lillard didn't really get going from the field but he still fueled Portland's spirited comeback efforts.
- Harden, after a brazen over-the-head pass that resulted in a loose ball, got two rebounds and threw a pair of splendid outlet passes that led to points for the Sixers. Maxey converted a tough layup while Melton got fouled and made both free throws.
- Embiid pitched in with a high-arching shot and kept his composure against Portland's double-teams, giving the Sixers the steadiness to hold onto the win. The Sixers are tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
Random thoughts:
- Harris' ability to score from the post is helpful but, in my opinion, those types of looks for him should be reserved for when Embiid isn't in the game.
- A few die-hard fans sat behind the Sixers' bench with a sign that read “Play Paul Reed”. Rivers did not oblige.
To finish up their road trip, the Sixers will face the Sacramento Kings on Saturday evening.
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