Sixers Veteran Touches on Team's Mentality vs. Struggling Pistons
Trap games are inevitable in pro sports, especially when 82 games are on the schedule. For the Philadelphia 76ers, they had an easy roundup of opponents on paper this week, which offered a handful of potential trap game candidates.
On Monday, the Washington Wizards were in South Philly for a third-straight battle against the Sixers this season. On Wednesday, the Sixers paid a visit to the Detroit Pistons, who lost 20 straight games. Then, on Friday, the Pistons came to Philly for the first time this year for a rematch.
Before Friday’s game, the Sixers took care of business with back-to-back blowouts. After issuing Detroit its 21st loss in a row on Wednesday, the Sixers knew they had to reset mentally. A blowout one night won’t guarantee the same results in another.
“Me and Joel [Embiid] were talking about it after the game about playing down to the level of the opponent,” Sixers veteran Marcus Morris said on Friday. “I think, by having the better team, having guys come off the bench as veterans, it keeps us into the game.”
On paper, it’s clear as day the Sixers had an advantage against an inexperienced and struggling Pistons team on Friday. Not only do the Sixers possess the league’s reigning MVP, along with a rising star in Tyrese Maxey, but they also employ a plethora of veterans who bring plenty of different skills and valuable experience to the table.
Sure, the Sixers were expected to handle business and come out with a convincing win on Friday, but they had to ensure they had the right mentality to avoid any slip-ups.
“[We had to have an] understanding that the team, they can’t play with us,” Morris added. “From the beginning, the first unit always, they take the first punch. And they go after them, and Joel [Embiid] comes out, and he sets the tempo. So, you know, we just build off of it. That’s what good teams do. They don’t play down to the level of competition, and we’re doing a good job of that.”
With wins over the Pistons twice and the Wizards once this week, the Sixers outscored the competition by 95 points. Not only did they take care of business, picking up wins where they’re expected, but the Sixers dominated, showing that they have the makings of a mature squad.
On Saturday, they’ll close out their four-game weekly slate with a battle against the Charlotte Hornets. Once again, Philly looks a potential trap game in the eye. Soon, we’ll see how they respond.
