Sixers players didn’t hold back at today’s film session as they reviewed their Game 3 loss to the Celtics, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. There was plenty to critique as Philadelphia fell by double digits and watched home court advantage slip away. The Sixers will have to regroup for Sunday to avoid heading back to Boston with a 3-1 deficit.
“I think the biggest thing was today that we were real with each other, and that’s good,” Tyrese Maxey said. “Family has to be real with each other. Family has to express themselves. They have to express the emotions that they’re feeling and you have to get that off your chest. And I think we’ve done a great job of that all year.”
Bontemps states that Maxey shot for the entire hour that reporters were present Saturday as he tries to regain his rhythm following a 4-for-16 performance Friday night. His drills included shooting over taller defenders in the lane.
“(Coach Doc Rivers) was on me,” Maxey said. “He said he felt like I started the third quarter with confidence, and then he said he felt like after I missed a shot or two, then my confidence stopped, and I stopped being aggressive and then started trying to press the issue. I just got to be confident throughout the entire game, and keep being aggressive.”
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- Rivers tried to get his team back in the right frame of mind following a disappointing outing, Bontemps adds. There have already been a couple of momentum swings in the series, and the long-time coach knows that more are possible. “This is part of going through a playoff grind,” he said. “It’s emotional terrorism at times, and you have to deal with it. You have to be able to handle it. Or you lose. … I thought, after watching the film, we were in a much better place than before.”
- The Sixers’ perimeter defense is being exploited in a series that Boston could easily be leading 3-0, observes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Pompey states that De’Anthony Melton, P.J. Tucker and Georges Niang have done fine, but the Celtics are taking advantage of Philadelphia’s other defenders and are especially targeting James Harden. Pompey notes that Harden’s best playoff games have come in the series openers when he had time to rest, but he hasn’t been nearly as effective otherwise.
- Joel Embiid played 39 minutes in his second game since returning from a sprained knee, but he told Rivers he felt great on Saturday, Pompey tweets. Even so, Embiid is listed as questionable on the Sixers’ injury report for Game 4.
What team is Doc’s agent trying to broker a deal with already?
He won’t be coaching the Sixers next month.
Well, let’s be real….. 1) JOEL IS INJURY PRONE, he’s always hurt in playoffs after playing a full season. 2) Maxey is a great talent, not consistent, 3) Harden is a shell of himself…. If hey give him a max contract they have effectively buried their franchise… they’re still trying to get out of Tobias contract of 40 million…4) the rest of the team are role players….. PJ IS Great energy guy, great D but doesn’t do anything offensively, if he get’s an occasional 3, you want to throw a party…. HEY DOC, this yr has actually has been OK, I’ve been critical of Doc in past…. As mentioned, JOEL IS ALWAYS HURT IN PLAYOFFS, ——low energy, low energy, no D Harden…..,roster construction that Morey has to solve…. Firing DOC may not solve anything…..
Harden isn’t Houston Harden, but I believe the Sixers will give him the max if only because 1. they won’t get another max slot if he leaves and 2. he’s been quite effective this year as a #2. Not to say he’s been great in the playoffs, but Harden is hardly the issue with this team and losing him just gives you another hole to fill. In fact, your part 4 is exactly why. The Sixers need another consistent player in their starting 5 beyond Embiid. They don’t have that now.
Go back to Melton starting like they had done earlier in the season when Maxey was injured.
Melton improves the defence and does a lot of dirty work. Then have Maxey come off the bench and be a scoring threat in the same way Boston does with Malcom Brogdan. I’d also like to see more McDaniels and Niang, 3 and D guys surrounding Joel, both guys would match up well with Boston’s smaller forwards in Tatum and Brown but not aswell when they have two big with Rob Will and Al Horford
“They have to express the emotions that they’re feeling and you have to get that off your chest.”
…. Sounds like the blame game begins. No Simmons to point at this time, so getting the sound track right for later. It’s going to be a blood bath in this org when Celtics prevail.
Been quite the process lol
Sixers are fools to bring back Harden. And Moreyon should go with him. Harden is washed. It’s always been known he doesn’t take care of his body. Especially after the season. He’s an old 33 and will be 34 this August. Rockets would be even dumber to take him back. No team is paying him max money. Har en plays no D. Even worse now.
Sixers are better off signing VanVleet and Schroeder both for less than Harden. Then trade Tucker and sign Brooks for less.
As he drops 42-8-9 in game 4
The key to this next game is to get Maxey going early. Get him the ball coming off screens. He needs to keep moving and make the defense chase him. If they do that they will.
Sincerely, Coach Kurtis aka The Real Coach K
Agree… they have an offensive force in Maxey, Doc not exploiting that…. Get Boston guards in foul trouble, jaylen Brown… take some pressure off Joel…Also, need a more aggressive Harden, not 45 point Harden, but more offensively… also unleash Melton…. Hey, what about Tobias Harris, he’s not chop liver…. 76ers need not depend on Joel only…
Wow Harden showing up. Does he really have this in him ……. we’ll see. wow unreal
I have been complaining the entire series about Tatum using his off-arm to shove defenders out of the way. He usually does it when driving to the basket, and earlier in the game yesterday Maxey was called for a foul when Tatum shoved him out of the way when driving to the basket. So happy Doc called Tatum out for doing in on that 3 at the end of the game. I only hope refs or league are seeing it throughout the series. I don’t like touch fouls being called, but shoving defenders really is as blatant as can be and doesn’t give defenders a chance to defend.
NBAs 2 minute report says the push-off by Tatum was not a foul. What a bunch of hog wash! Anyone and everyone watching knows it was a foul! Stop trying to protect the refs and teach them how to do their jobs by calling them out when they make blatant mistakes in their calls!