Sixers Need to Correct Sloppy Second-Half Mistakes They Made vs. Hornets
PHILADELPHIA, PA -- The Philadelphia 76ers wrapped 2020 up with a monster win over the Orlando Magic on the road. Then, they rang in the new year and picked up their first victory of 2021 with an impressive win over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.
At halftime on Saturday night, it seemed like another blowout was going to ensue. The Sixers led the Hornets 73-58, picking up where they left off the other night as they dominated the Magic.
Lately, everything has been clicking for the Sixers both offensively and defensively. Like Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said after Thursday's game, though -- they can be better. After Saturday night's 127-112 win over the Hornets, the message remained the same.
Sure, the 76ers took care of business, and on paper, it was a blowout. But there was a point in the third quarter and at the beginning of the final period where it seemed the Sixers could cough up the lead as the Hornets made necessary adjustments, which gave Philly a hard time.
"They tried to go zone in the first half, and we scored a ton of points," Doc Rivers said after the game. "One thing they did do that I thought gave us problems in the second was they pressed us a little bit, and we didn't handle it as well as we should have."
In the first half, the Sixers' offense flowed extremely well as their ball movement made it hard for Charlotte to stop them. As the Hornets got aggressive in the second half, the 76ers seemingly kept playing too loose, which caused issues late in the game.
"A lot of turnovers came from. . . You know, we had transition buckets where we're going for lobs," Rivers continued. "That's a team with a big lead. That's a dangerous way to play, so we'll watch that on film and correct that."
Sixers starting guard Ben Simmons acknowledged they played too "freely" in the second half as Charlotte attempted a comeback. "Doc called a couple of timeouts, and I think that got to us," Simmons said. "We had to lock back in." In the past, the 76ers haven't adjusted well, which Simmons admitted on Saturday night.
But with established championship-winning veterans in the organization teaching the younger players how to adjust, and with a highly-respected coach running the team, the Sixers show a much different side to them this year compared to previous seasons. So, there should be no doubt they will correct those mistakes moving forward.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
