76ers vs. Clippers: 3 Things That Stood Out on Friday
The Philadelphia 76ers were slated to wrap up a seven-game homestand on Friday night. With the Los Angeles Clippers in town, the Sixers’ final opponent of the stretch became their most difficult.
With a 19-14 record, the Clippers were just the second team to visit South Philly with a winning record in the last seven games. Therefore, the Sixers anticipated a much more difficult matchup than their previous few.
A hot first half for the Clippers made it seem as if the Sixers were in danger of picking up their first loss in seven games in disappointing fashion.
But some second-half adjustments from the home team left the Clippers stunned in the second half, as the Sixers fought back and picked up a comeback victory.
With a 119-114 win at home, the Sixers officially wrap up the seven-game stand undefeated. Here’s what stood out as the Sixers defeated the Clippers on Friday night.
The Sixers Didn’t Back Down
It was difficult not to assume the Sixers were on the path to a blowout loss. In the first half, Philadelphia allowed the Clippers to hit on 61 percent of their shots from the field, knocking down 53 percent of their threes.
Meanwhile, the Sixers hit on just 46 percent of their shots and drained only four of their 14 threes. Philadelphia trailed by as many as 20 points in the first half and was down 63-51 at halftime.
Recently, the Sixers trailed going into halftime of the Golden State Warriors matchup last Friday. When they formed a comeback in the second half and won, the team was proud of its effort and ability to bounce back despite getting off to a slow start against a struggling undermanned team.
The circumstances were similar on Friday, but the Clippers were healthy and rolling. Needing to form a comeback is never ideal at the moment, but the Sixers deserve credit for their ability to bounce back and get out in front with a big second half against a talented and deep roster such as the Clippers.
Dishing and Scoring
Two stats stand out for the Sixers on Friday night.
Joel Embiid’s scoring total. With 30 shot attempts from the field, Embiid drained 18 baskets and made all seven of his free throws. He finished the night with a game-high of 44 points. It marked the fifth time Embiid exceeded 40 points in a game this year.
James Harden’s assists. The ten-time All-Star has been a stellar playmaker for Philadelphia this season, and on Friday, Harden had himself a career night in the assists department. Earlier this season, Harden tied his career-high by dishing out 17 assists against the Washington Wizards on Halloween. On Friday, Harden produced 21 assists.
Don’t let the assists numbers fool you; As good as a facilitator Harden was on Friday, he did a little bit of everything. With 11 rebounds and 20 points to add to his stats for the night, Harden finished the game with a triple-double.
The Bench’s Efficiency
Part of the Sixers’ first-half struggles was the lack of production from the bench unit. As the Clippers received 24 points from their bench in the first half, the Sixers countered that with just four points. Shake Milton and Georges Niang both checked in for at least nine minutes in the first half. Between them, they had two points, courtesy of Milton’s one make on five attempts.
Whatever the halftime message was to the bench unit, it worked. Milton and Niang both had significant performances in the second half. Milton, who nearly checked in for 12 minutes, drained all five of his shots from the field, collecting 11 points.
Meanwhile, Georges Niang had a 15-minute shift, which resulted in him draining four of his five shots from the field, nailing three makes from beyond the arc, and tying Milton with 11 points off the bench in the second half.
It wasn’t a complete night for Philadelphia’s two bench standouts, but their efficient shooting came when it was much needed, as they combined for 63 percent from the field.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
