Joel Embiid, Sixers Preach Trust in Game 2 vs. Nets
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Trust has been at the heart of the Philadelphia 76ers' core mantra for the past decade since Sam Hinkie started to refer to the years of strategic tanking as a crucial part of the rebuild.
Yet, nearly a decade later, trust would be at the heart of Philadelphia's ethos as they found themselves ahead in the first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets while fighting tooth and nail for the second game.
Unlike the opening match in the series, the Sixers found themselves behind for a considerable portion of the first half, which was comprised of two quarters in which Joel Embiid and James Harden struggled to find the bottom of the basket.
But when it came to the Nets' tactic of double and even triple-teaming Embiid, trust played a factor in fighting off against it as the Cameroonian All-Star would dish the ball out to his teammates left unmarked by Jacque Vaughn's players.
These players would include Tyrese Maxey, De'Anthony Melton, and Tobias Harris, with the latter of the trio putting up 20 points on 57 percent shooting.
Following Philadelphia's win, Tobias Harris spoke with NBC Sports Philadelphia, and touched on the theme of trust throughout the team, explaining that it was one of the key factors in their victory.
"Trust, that's really what it was about, just trusting what we do. We knew that they were going to double team, so trusting the next guy and throwing the basketball with some love, expecting them to make the shot..." said Harris. "That was the biggest thing for us tonight, trusting in each other."
With Embiid being the focus of numerous double teams throughout the opening two games of the series, his number of field goals attempted has plummeted, which means his teammates are able to get more shots off.
The 29-year-old center is more than aware that being selfless with the ball by trusting his teammates and the plays drawn up by his coaching staff is an important part of winning in the postseason.
"It's the playoffs, you gotta do whatever it takes, I'm double I'm triple-teamed, if I wanted to I could get a shot, but is it going to be a good shot... probably not," said Embiid. "So, you gotta trust it and keep making the right plays."
Another one of the players left unmarked by Brooklyn was Maxey, who had himself a night, scoring a game-high 33 points, which included a playoff career-high six three-pointers made.
The third-year guard commented on the trust put into Embiid as well as his teammates, emphasizing the importance of confidence in each other throughout the squad.
"I think the biggest thing is that Joel is trusted," stated Maxey. "You know, I keep telling them to keep trusting it and believing that guys are going to hit shots, and I feel like we got guys in the right spots."
Declan Harris contributes to All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him on Twitter: @DecIanH.
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