November 27, 2023
The Sixers returned home Monday evening for a battle against LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Sixers were able to come away with a win, 138-94. Here is what stood out from the win:
• Sixers head coach Nick Nurse opted to hand the assignment of defending James to Tobias Harris, but very quickly began switching things up. Nurse has discussed in the past not wanting to show elite players the same coverages over and over. Nic Batum willingly switched onto James on screens frequently in the game's opening minutes, and then the Sixers went to a 2-3 zone defense — in part because Joel Embiid was in foul trouble after a questionable call.
• After a hot Lakers start let by eight Davis points, the Sixers became scorching and jumped out to a lead that was at 13 by the end of the period. They knocked down some impressive shots — most notably, Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, who combined for 22 points and six assists in the first quarter. But the most critical facets of their play were their defense and rebounding. They swarmed the ball on defense and the glass, making things extremely difficult for a short-handed Lakers team.
• One of Nurse's adjustments that led to the major first quarter run: eventually handing Batum the Davis assignment to help Embiid stay away from committing his third foul, having Embiid roam and letting the team's size advantage speak for itself. The Lakers were using small lineups, and the Sixers took advantage of them.
• A note worth thinking about: in a span of five quarters, the Sixers used Batum to defend Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, James and Davis. His defensive versatility is astounding.
• The Sixers got huge minutes from Patrick Beverley, who knocked down three first half triples en route to his best offensive showing of the season. Beverley also dished out a pair of assists in the first half. The Sixers are desperate for any sort of offensive production from Beverley — or whoever else may get his rotation spot — and it was a breath of fresh air to see him contribute on the offensive end.
• Marcus Morris Sr. also knocked down a trio of threes in the first half, along with a long two-pointer that gave him 11 points before intermission. He has been giving the Sixers very good minutes of late, and if he can continue to give them shooting performances like this, he could become a staple of the rotation. It will be a challenge for a player who is limited defensively to be a consistently productive piece, but right now he is getting the job done.
• Embiid's passing in this one was — once again — absolutely off the charts. He continues to improve, on a game-to-game basis perhaps, with his facilitating and playmaking. When he gets in a groove as a scorer and then begins to read defenses well and dish it out, the Sixers become almost impossible to defend. That was the case in the first half, as the Sixers poured in 68 points, led by Embiid (17 points, seven assists) and Maxey (20 points, six assists).
• The Sixers had a chance to enter halftime with a massive, perhaps insurmountable lead, but eventually ceded a Los Angeles run that trimmed the lead from 25 to 15 by the end of the half. James and Austin Reaves were able to get going as scorers for the Lakers, who finally started getting stops in the final few minutes of the half.
• As if Embiid's passing hasn't received enough attention recently, he dished out four assists in as many minutes to open the second half — an absolute clinic in playmaking. Embiid, perhaps more than he ever has in a game, was frequently bringing the ball up the floor and initiating offense.
• After going scoreless in the first half, De'Anthony Melton came up huge when the Sixers needed to retake the momentum by knocking down three triples. Melton's three-point shooting has been outstanding in recent weeks, and it makes things much easier for Embiid and co. when spot-up shooters are doing their thing. Melton, Batum and Harris all being high quality spot-up shooters helps space the floor for Embiid when he posts up and Maxey when he drives to the rim.
• A particularly impressive part of Maxey's performance in this one: of the five threes he knocked down, most of them came on the move and as an off-ball player. One of the upsides of Beverley playing well is that it enables the Sixers to occasionally weaponize Maxey as an off-ball threat, where his ridiculous shooting skills make him extremely dangerous.
• The Sixers were able to soundly put this game away with very little resistance from the Lakers. Their brilliant three-point shooting all night did the trick. To have a team as good as the Lakers emptying their bench with more than eight minutes left in the game is a testament to the Sixers' outstanding all-around showing.
• Despite having an outstanding final line of 30 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, Embiid only had to log 31 minutes in this one. The Sixers' ability to put games away when he is on the bench is immensely valuable, not just for the points they are scoring and the games they are winning, but the rest they are enabling for Embiid.
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