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There is no rest for the weary. After another tough matchup against the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday, the Philadelphia 76ers rushed home to face the Utah Jazz in the second leg of a back-to-back. Things were competitive early on, but Utah managed to take complete control in the second half.
When all was said and done, the Jazz walked away with a 118-96 victory, ending the Sixers' winning streak at three games. Here are some observations from the matchup.
76ers Observations
1) The battle beyond the arc
Few teams in the NBA are as analytically-driven as the Jazz. They have fully embraced the modern style of the NBA, centering their offense around threes or shots at the rim. In this matchup, the deep ball was a catalyst for their blowout victory.
The 76ers did their best to keep pace with the Jazz's onslaught from three but struggled to get shots to fall. As a team they shot just 18.2% from beyond the arc, hitting six of 33 attempts. On the other side, Utah connected on 15 of their 40 shot attempts.
Failing to shoot even average from three hurts in multiple ways. For starters, it's tough to keep a deficit small when the opposing team knocks down nine more threes than you. Not to mention, when the Sixers aren't a threat on the perimeter, it allows the opposing defense to shrink the floor on Joel Embiid.
Three-point shooting isn't the sole reason the 76ers dropped Thursday's matchup, but it certainly played a big part.
2) Joel Embiid's dominant run comes to an end
Coming out of the mini-series in Charlotte, momentum looked to be on Joel Embiid's side. He put on a pair of dominant showings and looked like the dominant player who almost took home the MVP award last season. Unfortunately for the Sixers, that hot streak fizzled out in Thursday's meeting with the Jazz.
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Early on, Embiid appeared to be on pace for another big night. His shooting touch in the mid-range was there from the jump and managed to punish the rim on occasion. As the game progressed, the All-Star center looked gassed and frustrated.
It might not have been a dominant showing, but Embiid still managed to turn in a solid performance. He ended the night with a team-high 19 points to go along with nine rebounds, two assists, and three steals.
Whether it was playing in both legs of a back-to-back, the Jazz frontcourt, a nagging injury, or a sum of all three, Embiid was not the player we've seen in the Sixers' recent stretch.
3) Missed opportunities come back to haunt Sixers
Before the Sixers took the court in Charlotte earlier this week, the Hornets roster was hit hard by health and safety protocols. Despite losing five rotation players, they still managed to stick around with the Sixers in both matchups. While the 76ers still walked away with a pair of wins, it came at a steep price.
Fatigue was a major catalyst in the Sixers falling short against the Jazz. Between their shots falling short and guys looking gassed, it was clear they were feeling the effects of a tight game from the night before.
Not saying it would have drastically changed things, but if the 76ers managed to put the Hornets away early, it might have helped their chances against the Jazz.
