February 12, 2024
Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports
Buddy Hield was dominant Monday night, leading the Sixers to a massive win over the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers.
Looking to build momentum after an exciting win in Washington D.C. on Saturday, the Sixers headed to Cleveland Monday for a matchup against the red-hot Cavaliers, who have surged into the Eastern Conference's second seed with a remarkable heater, led by star guard Donovan Mitchell. The short-handed Sixers put together one of their most impressive performances of the season, snapping the Cavaliers' nine-game winning streak with a 123-121 win. Here is what jumped out from the massive win:
Tobias Harris was unavailable in this one due to a hip injury. With Joel Embiid, Nic Batum, De'Anthony Melton and Robert Covington all out as well, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse did not have many options when it came to choosing a starting power forward. Ultimately, Nurse went with Martin, whose defense impressed in Washington D.C.
When Mo Bamba missed that game, Martin was relied upon to log important minutes as a backup center. He did a solid job not just as a weak side rim protector, but as a switchable perimeter defender who could move his feet well and handle perimeter-oriented players.
In this one, Martin was a menace on the glass, getting to several 50/50 balls thanks to his combination of athletic tools and high motor.
With the NBA Trade Deadline having passed with Martin still a member of the Sixers, it is easier to envision what his role could be on a consistent basis if he were to earn a solidified role. His offense will hinge on his production from beyond the arc, but his combination of defensive versatility and truly elite athleticism make him a fascinating chess piece for Nurse to play with.
Buddy Hield looked fantastic for most of his second game as a Sixer on Saturday, and he picked up right where he left off early on Monday. Hield scored 10 points on five shots — two of those shots being made threes — and dished out a pair of assists in the first quarter of this one. He continues to handle the ball more than expected, which may be out of necessity to an extent, but also a testament to Hield being more well-rounded of an offensive player than he has been given credit for in the past.
Meanwhile, Cam Payne continued to look more comfortable within the offense as well. He did an excellent job creating and exploiting advantages as the team's backup ball-handler — including when he shared the floor with Tyrese Maxey, a two-point guard look which Nurse indicated intrigues him on Saturday.
"I really liked it. Again, it's a little bit of a change of scenery for [Maxey]," Nurse said. "[Payne] is really good out there at creating for himself and others, so I do like it. I like it a lot."
What Payne's role will look like once the soon-to-be Sixer Kyle Lowry arrives is unclear, but if he continues to play the way he is so far in his Sixers tenure, Nurse will have no choice but to carve out a role for the guard acquired from Milwaukee.
Maxey has faced some extreme hardships as opposing defenses have honed in on him as their primary focus due to the absence of Embiid. But slowly and surely, he is figuring things out on the fly. His first half was an emblematic example of his improvement.
In the first quarter, Maxey was, believe it or not, the only Sixer who did not score. In the second quarter, he quickly rattled off eight consecutive points on two triples and an impressive finish at the rim against former Sixer Georges Niang — who he taunted in the only way Maxey can: with a point, heart-hands and a smile.
Oubre's inefficiency became a massive problem for the Sixers — he was forced into playing a hugely significant role on the offensive end due to the team's plethora of injuries, but was struggling to convert from any spots on the floor. In fact, Oubre had a recent five-game stretch in which he shot just 37.8 percent from the field and 24 percent from beyond the arc.
Oubre has been able to turn things around, though, rapidly improving as a finisher at the rim — a huge deal, given his special ability to provide rim pressure on a consistent basis — and knocking down more of his shots from not just beyond the arc, but also in the mid-range game. As the Sixers hopefully get healthier in the near future, they would love to see Oubre perform as well as he did in the early weeks of the season.
Reed has had stretches in which he has been eager to shoot threes or take elbow jumpers. Those stretches have netted mixed results, to be sure. But what is by far the most important part of his offensive game is finishing around the rim. It is what separated him as a clearly viable backup center option last season, and it is what elevates him to a game-changer when he is at his best.
Of late, Reed's finishing has been excellent, and that continued in this one, in which he used an outstanding combination of power and finesse to get the ball in the basket — including a few acrobatic layups against Cleveland's tremendous front line of rim protectors.
Reed's biggest play in this one ended up being on the defensive end -- a clutch block of Mitchell at the rim in the game's final seconds.
Just when the Cavaliers appeared to have taken control of the game in its final moments, the Sixers pulled off as crucial of a 6-0 run as one will find. First, Oubre hit a tough long-two. Then Hield drove and dished to Bamba for a dunk. On the next offensive possession, Hield created and finished a tough left-handed bucket off the glass.
Just when it felt like Hield was hot, he took things to another level, knocking down back-to-back threes from well beyond the arc. As impressive as he was in D.C., he reached an entirely new plane of productivity in this one. Hield eventually fouled out, inciting a Cavaliers run that nearly won Cleveland the game. But Hield balled out -- and it is the biggest reason why the Sixers just knocked off the hottest team in the entire NBA.
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