Games 1 and (especially) 2 had us worried about the Beard’s health, but Game 3 was encouraging.
As my colleague Dave Early pointed out, since the Sixers ended up winning the game anyway, let’s just view the ejection as some fortuitous load management for the veteran guard. Is this the day the Dewayne Dedmon buyout market signing pays off in a big way? OK, I’m losing my grip on reality, moving along.īut hey, the Sixers are up 3-0 in a playoff series, so let’s focus on the good things, shall we? James Harden looked much better in Game 3 before his apparent make-up call ejection (facepalm, Tony Brothers). And, of course, everyone will find things more difficult offensively with Brooklyn not frantically trying to double team Embiid every trip down the court. Philadelphia will need a similar stop along the Paul Reed Victory Tour this afternoon. However, the Sixers did win, 115-106, back in November, with Paul Reed coming off the bench for 19 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. If you’re hoping for positive news, the Sixers did go 2-0 against Brooklyn this regular season in games where Joel sat out, although the regular season finale obviously didn’t include regulars from either side. Embiid will now miss Game 4 with a sprained knee suffered last game. In Game 3, Joel was in visible discomfort for probably half the time he was on the court, troubled by both his lower back and knee after a handful of hard falls to the hardwood. The health part of that equation is being tested by Brooklyn’s strategy of “We can’t beat Joel Embiid, so let’s beat him up.” At every opportunity, they’ve been bodying him, giving him forearm shivers to the back, and just generally trying to make him more worried about protecting his body than playing a basketball game.
SIXERS LOOKED HUNGRY FOR A SWEEP IN GAME 1 SERIES
So the question now is not whether the Philadelphia 76ers will advance past the Brooklyn Nets, but whether they can do so as quickly as they can to ensure they’re as well-rested and healthy as possible heading into a second-round series against Boston.
As I stated in my Game 3 preview, no NBA team has ever lost a series after securing a 3-0 lead.
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