3 observations after big Harden half in Sixers’ blowout win originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Hometown kid James Harden dominated Friday night on the back leg of the Sixers’ two-game stay in Los Angeles.
Harden’s big first half helped the team to a 122-97 win over the Clippers.
He finished with 29 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists. Joel Embiid had 27 points and 10 rebounds.
With the win, the Sixers moved to 46-27 and a half-game behind the Heat at the top of the Eastern Conference. The Bucks, who will play the Grizzlies on Saturday and the Sixers next Tuesday, are also 46-27.
The Clippers were down six players, including Kawhi Leonard (right knee ACL recovery), Paul George (right elbow UCL tear) and Norman Powell (left foot fracture).
The Sixers will go for a 3-0 road trip Sunday night against the Suns. Here are observations on their blowout victory Friday:
Lots to like in early run
The Sixers responded to the Clippers’ 5-0 start with a 21-2 run in which seemingly every possible thing went right.
Matisse Thybulle threw down two fast-break dunks, one off of a Harden alley-oop. The other required zero assistance as Thybulle broke free after a steal and didn’t have any Clippers to worry about.
Defensively, Thybulle smothered Reggie Jackson (11 points on 4-for-13 shooting). Ben Simmons’ size and length often troubled smaller guards. Thybulle isn’t a 6-foot-10, all-position defender, but he’s also shown the ability to throw star ball handlers off their game through his length, activity and the looming threat of blocks and steals. With more starts and minutes, perhaps he can further develop as a cumulative nuisance while continuing to sharpen his ball-hawk skills.
Embiid looked comfortable operating from the middle of the floor, where he had tons of success during his 40-point game against the Clippers in January. Harden played with passion and aggression that was impossible not to notice, even head-butting the basket stanchion after an and-one layup. Embiid scored 11 points in the first period, Harden added 10, and a buzzer-beating corner three-pointer from Tobias Harris put the Sixers up 35-19.
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Harden plays his game, dominates first half
Harden’s chances to celebrate were plentiful in the first half.
He flexed his muscles after an and-one hoop in the second quarter and posted 25 points and 11 rebounds before the break. Three-pointers and free throws have been foundational to Harden’s game for a long time, and he leaned on both. He got up eight first-half threes and made half of them, while the Clippers were only 2 for 10 from long range. The 10-time All-Star also went 9 for 9 from the foul line.
Harden didn’t maintain his three-point shooting pace, beginning the second half with a more deliberate, deferential style. He assisted Harris on a corner three that gave the Sixers a 71-49 lead. A fourth-quarter Harden feed on a Danny Green three tied him with Kobe Bryant for 32nd on the NBA’s all-time list.
The decisive win meant no Sixer needed to play more than Harden’s 34 minutes, the 32-year-old’s fewest since March 10.
As he did in Wednesday’s win over the Lakers, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers rotated so that the team played stretches without Harden and Embiid. Tyrese Maxey shot 1 for 8 from the floor in the first half, but he made all three of his attempts after halftime and went 2 for 3 from three-point territory in the game, creeping over 42 percent on the season.
Much better work with big lead
The Sixers led by as many as 23 points in the second period, but they knew from experience that a victory wasn’t yet secure against the Clippers. The team blew a 24-point advantage to Los Angeles in that January meeting.
While the Sixers’ third quarter included several minor speed bumps, they built a 21-point halftime edge up to 23 thanks to strong answers whenever Los Angeles hinted at a run. One of those was a Harris jumper over Robert Covington in the post after the Clippers cut their deficit to 15. The possession after being assessed a technical foul, Embiid made a three late in the shot clock.
Thybulle was called for his fourth foul with seven minutes and 37 seconds left in the third period, but Rivers challenged the call. That proved a smart decision as the officials ruled Terance Mann kicked out on his three-point attempt and the Clippers wing picked up his fourth personal instead of Thybulle.
On Friday night, it was obvious that Thybulle being able to stay on the court was good news for the Sixers. He recorded 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting and three steals.
Every Sixers starter scored in double-figures, and they all watched the final minutes from the sidelines as Paul Reed, Charlie Brown Jr. and company closed out the game.
