76ers vs. Lakers: Takeaways From Blowout Win
Coming off their nail-biting win in Oklahoma City Saturday, the Philadelphia 76ers were back on their home floor Monday. Next up on the schedule was a meeting with LeBron James and the LA Lakers.
From the opening tip, the Sixers were able to break out to a sizable lead. They managed to keep their foot on the gas and win in dominant fashion in front of a nationally televised audience.
Thanks to big nights from multiple Sixers, they were able to take down the Lakers by a final score of 138-94. Here are some of the key takeaways from the win.
Patrick Beverley, Marcus Morris catch fire
Throughout the first month of the season, the Sixers have gotten production from multiple different players of the second unit. However, there was a pair of unlikely heroes on Monday night.
Amped up by playing against the team that traded him last year, Patrick Beverley made his presence known against the Lakers. Along with his hard-nosed defense, he connected on four threes en route to scoring 12 points.
The other standout off the bench was Marcus Morris. Since getting more playing time in recent games, the veteran forward has made the most of his opportunity. In 19 minutes of action, he scored 16 points on stellar 6-for-8 shooting from the field.
Following the James Harden trade, the Sixers' depth has been a big topic of conversation. Having guys like Beverley and Morris go off for big games is a testament to how many impactful players the team has off the bench.
Joel Embiid finally breaks the triple-double threshold
Joel Embiid has been one of the NBA's most dominant forces for some time now, but mainly as a scorer. That said, head coach Nick Nurse has managed to un-tap the reigning MVP's game even more.
So far this season, Embiid's improved playmaking has been a key takeaway. After falling just short of a triple-double on multiple occasions in recent games, he finally got over the hump against the Lakers.
In 30 minutes of action, Embiid posted a stat line of 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Even when matched up against another one of the league's top bigs in Anthony Davis, the Sixers star continued his all-around dominance.
Sixers dominate the three-point battle
In today's NBA, the three-point shot has become a focal point of every offense. There were many factors that led to this win for the Sixers, but their perimeter shooting was a major catalyst.
On Monday, the Sixers connected on a season-high 22 made threes. They did so on 46 attempts, shooting 47.8% as a team. Six different Sixers made at least two threes, with Tyrese Maxey leading the way with five.
As for the Lakers, they converted only seven of their attempts. This massive disparity led to them going down big early and never being able to claw their way back.
For a team that is centered around a dominant big man, the Sixers need proper floor spacing. If the supporting cast can continue to light it up from three, it will allow Embiid to do more damage.
