After a quick two-game homestand, the Philadelphia 76ers were back on the road Wednesday night for a matchup with a longtime rival in the Boston Celtics. Like most games between these two teams, things went down the wire.
The Sixers found themselves with a chance to win the game in the final seconds but failed to get off a shot attempt. In the end, Boston walked away with a 88-87 victory. Here are some observations from the matchup.
3 Sixers Observations In Loss Vs. Celtics
3. A familiar face gets revenge
Not only do these historic franchises share a ton of history, but the players in the game as well. This matchup featured a pair of familiar faces for the Sixers. Most notably Al Horford, who faced his former team for the first time since being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Al Horford and the Celtics brought out the clamps with the game on the line 🗜 pic.twitter.com/VwboaAnSRc
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 2, 2021
Horford has always given the Sixers trouble and facing some old teammates surely added fuel to the fire. Very early on, it became clear the veteran big man viewed this matchup as an opportunity to get some revenge on one of his former teams.
In about 31 minutes of action, Horford racked up 10 points, eight rebounds and an impressive five blocks. He connected on four of his six shot attempts as well, including going 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. On top of that, Horford held his own against Joel Embiid, something he did all too well prior to his time in Philadelphia.
Whether it was his intention or not, Horford managed to be successful in his “revenge game.”
2. Shake Milton sparks Sixers' offense
Wednesday was a night to forget for the Sixers offensively. As a team, they shot just 37.1 percent from the floor and struggled mightily in the early stages of the game. Luckily, one play caught fire off the bench to generate some momentum for the stagnant offense.
On Monday, it was Seth Curry who ignited the offense when others were struggling. In this game, Shake Milton was the unlikely hero. The young guard was a microwave scorer and hit an array of shots to erase Boston's growing lead in the first quarter. When all was said and done Milton ended the night as the Sixers' second top-scorer with 16 points.
Performances like this are a testament to how impactful Milton can be leading the second unit. Hopefully, he can carry this impressive showing into the rest of the road trip.
1. Joel Embiid's offensive struggles continue
When Joel Embiid made his return from health and safety protocols, he did so in dominant fashion. Unfortunately, his play since then has been lackluster. He struggled shooting-wise against the Magic, and it carried over into Wednesday's matchup in Boston.
The All-Star center shot 3-for-17 en route to scoring 13 points. These shooting struggles even affected him at the free-throw line, an area where he typically is automatic. Embiid got to the line ten times but only converted on six attempts.
Jaylen Brown clearly not himself and had some defensive lapses in this game. But heck of an effort here denying Joel Embiid and then contesting shot with Celtics mismatched. pic.twitter.com/UEi42Wncam
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) December 2, 2021
Even with his shooting woes, Embiid managed to leave his mark on the game. He focused his energy on different areas, tallying 18 rebounds, six assists, two steals and three blocks.
It's clear Embiid is still feeling the effects of what he went through during his time away. Getting back to regular game form might take longer than many first anticipated after his showing against the Timberwolves.
Still impacting the game in other facets is a big positive, but if the Sixers want to get back on track, they need their franchise cornerstone at his best.
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