Down go the Celtics!

     Wins against the Mavericks and the Raptors were nothing major. Embiid scored 25 against the Mavs, which definitely wasn't really his norm, but Maxey covered for him with 22. James Harden had a nice 12 assists as the Sixers finished 116-108. The 76ers win against Toronto was also pretty low key. Embiid grabbed 12 boards that game, but still only scored 25 points. Harden did better this game, with 11 assists and 23 points. The 76ers defeated Toronto with a score of 117-110.

    But on the road, the Sixers could not beat the top tier Bucks team. Embiid managed only 28 points, which marked three straight games under 30. Tyrese Maxey hit 29, but Harden put up only 11...in 34 minutes. Harden is really a hit or miss kind of player. Giannis Antetokounmpo easily scored 33 points while hauling in 14 rebounds. The Bucks beat the Sixers 117-104. 

    Maybe Joel Embiid was mad at this, or something, because he took it out on the Celtics. Embiid destroyed the stat sheet, posting 52 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks. All in only 39 minutes! James Harden had a confident double double with 20 points and 10 assists. Even P.J. Tucker got into the game with 11 points, knocking down three three pointers. He drained two clutch corner treys before finding himself on the corner again. No Celtics even made an effort, even after Tucker hesitated, and Tucker made them pay. He drained another corner three, and pushed the 76ers even further ahead. Boston's Derrick White lobbed up a three, which went in to push the score to 103-101. Boston need a miracle to win so Jayson Tatum, who had 19 points on the day, said a prayer and heaved a buzzer-beating arching shot...that hit the rim mounting and bounced away. The 76ers escaped with a huge victory against a hated team, and avoided being swept the season. 

Joel Embiid dominated the Celtics with 52 points

Photo Credit: The Keene Sentinel  

    But it couldn't last, as it never does with the 76ers. At home, the Heat thrashed the Sixers. As I have stated before, Jimmy Butler has a really hard time accepting the fact that Tobias Harris was chosen over him. So he likes the thrash Philly whenever he has the chance. And with 24 points and a monstrous 129-101 victory, he did just that. He got the better of Embiid, and the Maxey-less Sixers didn't stand a chance. Embiid had only 21 points and six rebounds. They lost their home finale in one of the most crushing ways possible, and only have two games left until the playoffs.

 

The above photo was taken from a Keene Sentinel article. Photo taken by Heather Khalifa. Image used for commentary.