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Tag: Sixers analysis

  • Report: Cameron Payne to rejoin Sixers, sign for rest of season

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    The Sixers are reportedly bringing back a familiar face to the NBA.

    Cameron Payne will sign a rest-of-the-season contract after being bought out by Serbian club Partizan Belgrade, Marc Stein reported Monday.

    Payne had a good first stint with the Sixers in the final months of the 2023-24 season, averaging 9.3 points and 3.1 assists as a high-paced, high-energy bench guard with a quirky, confident game. He also had bright moments in the team’s first-round playoff series loss to the Knicks, including an 11-point outing on 4-for-7 shooting in the Sixers’ Game 3 win. 

    The 31-year-old lefty was certainly a well-liked teammate, too.

    “He’s so positive,” Tyrese Maxey said after Payne’s Game 3 performance. “Everybody says I’m positive, but he’s extremely positive. He’s just jumping around, having a great time. 

    “He makes you want to go out there and really compete with your brothers. And he’s always vocal on the bench. … He’s always telling everybody, ’Stay aggressive, stay ready, go out there and be who you are.’ So we appreciate him for being who he was tonight.”

    Over 10 games this season for Partizan Belgrade in the EuroLeague, Payne posted 12.4 points and 3.9 assists per contest. 

    The 31-year-old lefty may very well have an opportunity to play rotation minutes with the 30-24 Sixers. The team’s guard depth was problematic in its final two games before the trade deadline, especially with Quentin Grimes sidelined by an illness. 

    Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said he planned to add at the trade deadline after dealing away Jared McCain, but nothing “moved the needle.” Whether or not Payne does that, he’ll be back in a place he knows well. 

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    Noah Levick

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  • Against the odds, Embiid deserves All-Star consideration

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    It has been a long, hard road for Joel Embiid over the last two seasons. He suffered a knee injury that need surgery, causing him to miss two months of the 2023-24 season. He returned for the playoffs, but issues with the knee remained, and as a result, he missed all but 19 games last season. Many wondered if we would ever see the Sixers’ big man anywhere near 100 percent again.

    Is Joel Embiid all the way back?

    If he isn’t, he’s getting awfully close.

    After a slow start, Embiid’s rhythm on the court has returned. A season that began with limited expectations for the perennial All-Star has suddenly become a man, as they say, back on his BS.

    Just as quickly as Embiid had vanished from the lineup with more knee soreness, his flow on the floor has returned, like getting back on a bicycle. His season that began as sluggish is now energetic, getting his groove back on both ends of the floor.

    Over the last five weeks, he has played 14 of the Sixers’ 17 games, averaging 28.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, shooting 53.1% from the floor, and adding a block per contest.

    Has he played well enough to earn his eighth All-Star Game appearance? His head coach, Nick Nurse, spoke on that recently.

    “I think that Joel’s really worked hard. It’s been a difficult road,” said Nurse. “I mean, again, that was a super serious injury, right? As we see, everybody takes—it takes a while to get back from that. Again, we talk about just the sheer size even makes it harder. I think, for him to get back—and I don’t know about any of that stuff, awards or All-Star games or anything, I think he’s getting to a point where he’s starting to feel better, which is evident in the way he’s playing.”

    While he has played just 25 of the Sixers’ 44 games, he’s averaging 25.1 PPG in those games. The only Eastern Conference forward who has a better scoring average is Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (28.0), who was just placed on the injured list with a calf issue.

    He may not be back at his peak powers, but he’s playing well enough to be celebrated next month at the All-Star game. Teammate Tyrese Maxey doesn’t have an official vote, but he made his position clear a few days ago.

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    Dan Roche

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  • Observations after Edgecombe sinks game-winning 3-pointer, Sixers beat Grizzlies in OT 

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    VJ Edgecombe’s clutch exploits came on the road with the Sixers.

    The rookie buried the second game-winner of his career Tuesday night in Memphis. The Grizzlies hard hedged Tyrese Maxey on the perimeter and he dished to Edgecombe, who nailed a go-ahead three-pointer with 2.2 seconds left in overtime. Cedric Coward’s miss at the final buzzer cemented a 139-136 Sixers win.

    With their first victory of a five-game road trip, the Sixers moved to 17-14 and snapped a three-game losing streak. They’ll play the Mavs on Thursday night. 

    Memphis dropped to 15-17. Ja Morant starred for the Grizzlies with 40 points and Coward posted 28 points and 16 rebounds.

    The Sixers got 34 points, 10 rebounds and a season-high eight assists from Joel Embiid. 

    Maxey had 34 points and 12 assists. Edgecombe added 25 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals. 

    The Sixers’ two injury absences were Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain).  According to a team official, both players are continuing to progress and started to be “reintegrated into team activities” at Monday’s practice. 

    Here are observations on the Sixers’ dramatic OT win Tuesday:

    Déjà vu at the start

    Edgecombe swished a three-pointer for his team’s first basket. Outside of that, there was little to like early on for the Sixers. 

    Memphis jumped in front and took a 17-7 lead on Coward’s corner three. The Thunder had opened 9 for 9 from the floor Sunday in their blowout win over the Sixers. Two days later, the Grizzlies started 7 for 8. 

    Sixers head coach Nick Nurse called timeout. Though the Sixers certainly did not snap into lockdown defense mode, they at least stabilized the situation overall.

    Maxey had a second straight outstanding start highlighted by near-perfect shooting. The 25-year-old scored a dozen points in both the first and second quarters. His only first-half miss was a tightly guarded three on the Sixers’ final possession of the first quarter. 

    Maxey-Embiid duo flowing 

    Embiid committed two fouls in under seven minutes. Edgecombe picked up his third peronal at the 9:26 mark of the second quarter and sat out the rest of the first half. 

    The Sixers still earned their first lead with Maxey sitting early in the second quarter. Embiid drilled a top-of-the-key three and had success on multiple occasions when he popped off of double drag actions. A Jared McCain fast-break layup put the Sixers up 47-46. 

    The Maxey-Embiid two-man game was brilliant once the Sixers’ superstar guard checked back in. The duo diced up Memphis’ defense with pick-and-pops, dribble handoffs and heaps of individual talent. The Embiid-Maxey pair posted 43 points in the first half on just 23 field goal attempts and eight assists. 

    Nurse played a big frontcourt of Embiid and Adem Bona late in the second quarter. Largely thanks to Embiid’s defense, the Sixers fared well. The Sixers forced a flurry of turnovers and Embiid had a bright, energetic defensive stretch with two blocks and a steal. Bona did all the dirty work and chipped in four points, six rebounds, two blocks and two assists. He was deservedly the Sixers’ lone backup center and Andre Drummond stayed on the bench.

    On top of the production, Embiid’s mobility and minutes were encouraging. He logged a season-high 38 minutes in Memphis.

    Maxey capped the first half with a fantastic play when he somehow hit a leaning, double-pump three with 1.1 seconds left in the second quarter. He looked amazed by his own work. 

    Maxey made his 800th career three-pointer Tuesday (he’s currently at 802). Allen Iverson is first in Sixers history with 885.

    Edgecombe saves the day

    The Grizzlies scored the first six points of the second half and the Sixers appeared on their way to more third-quarter misery. Coward and Jaylen Wells drained threes against the Sixers’ zone defense to give Memphis a 90-81 lead.

    The Sixers replied with a much-needed run.

    Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes each turned steals into fast-break baskets. The Sixers had a major turnovers advantage (20-9) on Tuesday night.

    They took a slim lead into the fourth quarter, but Morant had a hot start to the final frame. After making a mid-range jumper on McCain, he got Bona on a switch and then drove in for a tough one-one layup with his left hand.

    While Edgecombe did not shoot especially well for much of the night, he came through with tons of timely plays in the fourth quarter and OT. Paul George converted a cutting layup and Edgecombe sunk two threes in a row. The Sixers led by seven points with a little over four minutes on the clock. Edgecombe had a 13-point fourth period.

    The Sixers struggled to stamp a win, failing to find a decisive basket. Embiid committed his fifth foul on an illegal screen, Maxey missed a mid-range jumper, and Morant made a game-tying floater.

    Memphis had a chance to win on the final play of regulation but couldn’t capitalize. Grimes and Embiid swarmed Morant. Wells and Santi Aldama both missed go-ahead three-point attempts.

    Eventually, the Sixers’ stars saw a few shots drop again in OT. Maxey made a driving lay-in through contact and Embiid hit two mid-range hoops.

    Morant jetted past Edgecombe and laid the ball in with 18.3 seconds to go in overtime, tying the game up once more.

    As has become his habit in the NBA, Edgecombe shook the play off and saved the day.

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  • Observations after Sixers get blown out by defending champs, OKC pulls away in 2nd half

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    The Sixers could not put together two competitive halves Sunday afternoon against the defending champions.

    The Thunder pulled away at Paycom Center to earn a 129-104 win and improve to 27-5 on the season. The Sixers fell to 16-14.

    Tyrese Maxey had 28 points and five assists. 

    OKC’s leading scorers were Chet Holmgren with 29 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 27. 

    The Sixers were without Joel Embiid (right ankle sprain and right knee injury management), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain). 

    The third stop on the Sixers’ five-game road trip is Memphis, where they’ll play the Grizzlies on Tuesday night. Here are observations on their loss to the Thunder:

    Thunder scorching from the start 

    Oklahoma City made its first nine field goals.

    The Sixers’ defense was not at its finest and the Thunder’s offensive execution was razor-sharp after two straight losses to the Spurs. Jalen Williams beat Paul George on a backdoor cut and laid the ball in. Holmgren scored twice over Dominick Barlow in the post and jammed in an unguarded fast-break dunk. 

    In his first career game against the Thunder, VJ Edgecombe defended the reigning MVP. He had a solid start against Gilgeous-Alexander, ceding no cheap fouls, but OKC’s superstar guard is essentially impossible to shut down. Gilgeous-Alexander has now scored over 20 points in 103 consecutive games. The longest streak in NBA history is Wilt Chamberlain’s 126 straight games.

    OKC did commit seven turnovers in the first quarter and the Sixers avoided any immediate blowout concerns. A Quentin Grimes three-pointer late in the first gave the Sixers their first lead at 25-24. 

    Maxey back on his A-game in first half

    Maxey scored nine points in the first few minutes, including a soft scoop shot and a deep jumper. 

    He never cooled off in the first half and continued to drive effectively into the heart of the Thunder’s defense. Maxey began 6 for for 6 from the floor and posted 15 of the Sixers’ 29 points in the opening period. He only missed two field goals in the first half on his way to 23 points. 

    While there was nothing lucky about Maxey’s shotmaking in Oklahoma City, he was also due for some kind bounces. He’d had subpar shooting nights in the Sixers’ losses to the Nets and Bulls, going 31.6 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from three-point range over those two games. 

    The Sixers’ offense relied on Maxey, although the team’s bench did provide much better production than in Friday’s defeat to Chicago. 

    Adem Bona had eight points, two blocks and two rebounds in an extended first stint. Justin Edwards knocked down a three as soon as he touched the ball. Jared McCain leaked out ahead of the pack for a layup and Edwards then sunk his third triple of the second quarter to put the Sixers up 58-57. They trailed by two points at intermission.

    Best vs. worst in third quarter

    OKC’s defense focused more on bothering Maxey after halftime and he didn’t score in the second half until a technical free throw with 7:05 left in the fourth quarter.

    Unsurprisingly, Maxey’s lack of scoring coincided with the Thunder’s lead growing. Gilgeous-Alexander’s driving layup capped an 11-0 run and built OKC’s advantage to 86-73.

    Neither Edgecombe (10 points on 3-for-16 shooting) nor George (12 points on 4-for-11 shooting) had the sort of efficient performances necessary to pick up Maxey’s slack after halftime.

    The Sixers moved to a zone defense late in the third quarter. They weren’t able to stick with it for long, since the Thunder dissected the zone very well. OKC passed 100 points before the end of the third and the NBA’s worst third-quarter team thus far (minus-21.4 net rating entering Sunday) lost the frame by 14 points.

    It just so happens that Oklahoma City is the league’s best third-quarter team. For the Sixers, Sunday’s fourth quarter was soon a hopeless cause.

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  • Observations after Edwards has monster night off bench in Sixers’ win over Celtics 

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    The Sixers shook off another rough third quarter and beat the Celtics on Tuesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    Justin Edwards played a giant role off the bench, scoring 22 vital points in a 102-100 win.

    Ironically, the Sixers got their game-winning hoop on Edwards’ one miss. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored the go-ahead put-back layup with 8.7 seconds left. 

    Tyrese Maxey had 21 points and nine assists. Quentin Grimes posted 18 points. Andre Drummond tallied a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double.

    Jaylen Brown scored 24 points to lead the Celtics. Derrick White added 18.

    The Sixers were without Joel Embiid (right knee soreness), Paul George (left knee surgery recovery), Dominick Barlow (right elbow laceration) and Johni Broome (right ankle sprain). 

    Next up for the 7-4 Sixers is a trip to Detroit and a Friday night matchup with the Pistons. Here are observations on their victory over Boston:

    Early shooting woes

    The Sixers scored on their first three possessions and the Maxey-Trendon Watford duo continued to show off its chemistry. Maxey took a Watford handoff and canned an open three-pointer. Watford nailed an early catch-and-shoot jumper assisted by Maxey. 

    Though the Sixers soon hit a dry spell, their defense was very successful in the early going against both Brown and White. Each missed several clean looks. Brown started 1 for 7 from the floor and White opened 1 for 8, including a three he air-balled wide left. Payton Pritchard began 0 for 5, too. 

    The Sixers were not exactly on fire either and ended the first quarter up 23-22.

    VJ Edgecombe defended well but remained cold as a shooter, starting 0 for 5. Edgecombe finished 2 for 11. Over his last five games, the rookie has gone 17 of 61 (27.9 percent) from the floor.

    It was a real nail-biter for 76ers’ fans on Tuesday night, but they went home happy. NBC10’s Johnny Archer has the story. 

    Edwards a big bright spot off bench

    Jared McCain checked in late in the first quarter and shared the floor with fellow guards Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes.

    In his third game of the season, McCain still did not look close to the player he was his rookie season. He missed a mid-range jumper and couldn’t convert a leaner through contact. The 21-year-old was called for a charge when he tried to drive and kick the ball out to Edgecombe on the wing. 

    Overall, McCain again appeared to have trouble moving freely and trusting his instincts with the brace on his left knee. He had some shaky moments as a ball handler. Jordan Walsh poked the ball away from McCain a couple of times well behind the third-point line.

    McCain logged seven minutes and did not play in the second half. He’s 0 for 9 from the floor so far.

    Sixers head coach Nick Nurse used a five-man bench. Edwards was a big bright spot in the first half.

    The lefty wing had two long-range jumpers, an and-one layup, two assists and two offensive rebounds. When Maxey checked back in with 5:18 to go in the second quarter, the Sixers held a nine-point lead. Grimes polished off an and-one to make it 41-31. 

    Edwards kept rolling and truly caught fire in the fourth quarter (more on that below). He shot an incredible 8 for 9 from the field.

    Sixers overcome more 3rd-quarter struggles

    Boston managed a mere 41 points in the first half. The Celtics shot 28 percent from the field and 19 percent beyond the arc over the first two quarters. 

    Again, the fate of the game largely came down to whether the Sixers could be better than their early-season norm in the third quarter. Going into Tuesday night, the Sixers had an NBA-worst net rating of minus-36.3 in third periods

    They added another abysmal third quarter to the list vs. the Celtics.

    After a Drummond missed three, Neemias Queta jammed in a dunk. Brown sunk a turnaround jumper. Oubre turned the ball over and White made a triple that lifted the Celtics to a 54-53 lead.

    At that point, Maxey grew more aggressive, driving hard and drawing frequent contact. He drained a three to give the Sixers a 66-63 edge.

    The Celtics had a lot left in the tank. Brown scored six straight points and White made threes on Boston’s final two possessions of the third. Grimes rather miraculously cut the Sixers’ deficit to 77-71 by hitting a half-court shot at the third-quarter buzzer. That shot meant the Sixers lost the third by 16 points.

    After an Edwards steal and slam early in the fourth quarter, the Sixers trailed by three and Maxey subbed back in.

    Instead of Maxey, it was Edwards who pushed the Sixers back in front. He believed he could make everything and was correct.

    Edwards drained threes on three consecutive possessions to put the Sixers up 93-92.

    The game stayed tight down the stretch. Edgecombe appeared to have missed a three long, but he got a high, generous bounce through the hoop to build the Sixers’ lead to 100-96.

    They couldn’t extend that advantage. Maxey missed two tightly guarded shots in the paint. Brown got Oubre to bite on a pump fake and drew two free throws with 33.5 seconds left. He split them, knotting the game at 100-all.

    Maxey then probed the Celtics’ defense and found Edwards open on the perimeter. He finally missed, but Oubre was there to grab the rebound and score the go-ahead bucket.

    The Sixers disrupted the Celtics’ plans on their final play and White threw up a deep heave. Queta had a put-back chance just before the final buzzer, but he couldn’t convert and the Sixers celebrated a nervy win. 

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    Noah Levick

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