Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers outscored the Miami Heat by eight points during the 31 minutes big man DeAndre Jordan was on the bench in Monday's game against the Miami Heat.

Yet they lost 106-92 because they were outscored by 22 points during the 17 minutes he played.

That would seem to necessitate changes, but 76ers head coach Doc Rivers has different plans.

"We are going to keep starting him [DeAndre Jordan] whether you like it or not because our guys believe in him," he told reporters after the loss, which gave Miami a 1-0 lead in the second-round series.

While the quote made Rivers appear somewhat stubborn in his ways given what unfolded on the court, this also isn't the situation he and the 76ers expected to find themselves in after eliminating the Toronto Raptors in the first round.

After all, Joel Embiid is one of the best players in the entire NBA and was in the MVP discussion throughout the season. He is supposed to be starting and anchoring the front line for 40-plus minutes, but he suffered a right orbital fracture and concussion that will keep him sidelined for at least the first two games in this series.

That left Philadelphia scrambling for answers, and Rivers turned to Jordan for Game 1.

It didn't work.

He finished with four points and two rebounds while struggling on defensive assignments and serving as mostly a nonfactor unless he was near the rim on offense. He looked nothing like he did in his prime when he was soaring for alley-oops as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Paul Reed looked like a much better option with four points, nine rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block in 13 minutes of action, but his time was limited by foul trouble with five in that span alone.

Paul Millsap struggled while going scoreless in six minutes, and Georges Niang was arguably worse with zero points on 0-of-7 shooting from the field in 22 minutes.

Rivers isn't exactly working with the best options with Embiid sidelined, but he will apparently stick with Jordan for Game 2.            

While star center Joel Embiid sat out because of an orbital fracture and concussion, the Philadelphia 76ers needed James Harden to play like the former NBA MVP he is in Monday's Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Miami Heat.

Unfortunately for Philadelphia, Harden didn't come close to his prime form as he put forth a lackluster performance in a 106-92 loss at FTX Arena. Harden scored 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting with nine rebounds, five assists and five turnovers. It had already been expected that the Sixers would face an uphill battle against the top-seeded Heat, but Philadelphia has no chance in the series if Harden continues to play like this.

Naturally, fans on social media called out Harden for his quiet night.

James Harden getting exposed as a fraud on national TV? Well, I never

— Jared Wade (@Jared_Wade) May 3, 2022

James Harden isn’t exactly stepping up in Embiid’s absence

— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) May 3, 2022

James Harden is so unpleasant to watch. His game is so boring

— David Lang (@Dukielang) May 3, 2022

Sixers need more from James Harden. A lot more.

— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) May 3, 2022

James Harden has as many turnovers as field goals: 5

Tyler Herro has 9 field goals and no turnovers @5ReasonsSports

— Ethan J. Skolnick, 5 Reasons Sports (@EthanJSkolnick) May 3, 2022

Really seems like Harden hasn't gotten a single bounce to go his way on 3s since he got to the #Sixers

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) May 3, 2022

Most disappointing part of tonight for the Sixers has to be James Harden. The Heat look very beatable. They will have a chance on Embiid is back. But once again Harden has not looked any better in a spot the team really needed him to be. #Sixers

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) May 3, 2022

James Harden once scored 30 or more in 32 straight games. Seeing him score 30 would be shocking nowadays.

— Robin Lundberg (@robinlundberg) May 3, 2022

James Harden with a Game 1 stat line of 16-9-5 on 5-13 shooting. That’s abysmal. Period. What happened to him?

— Joe Fann (@Joe_Fann) May 3, 2022

The Sixers would have been better off with CJ McCollum

— Five Reasons Sports 🏀🏈⚾️🏒⚽️ (@5ReasonsSports) May 3, 2022

As Harden struggled, his Sixers teammates weren't that much better. Tobias Harris scored 27 points and Tyrese Maxey added 19, but they were the only bright spots. Philadelphia shot just 6-of-34 (17.6 percent) from three-point range against a staunch Miami defense.

But despite impressively locking up the Sixers, the Heat shot just 43.5 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from beyond the arc. Some fans were disappointed that Philadelphia wasted a chance to steal a road win thanks to its own subpar shooting.

https://twitter.com/AUgetoffmygold/status/1521304642566639618

Second half (so far):
Miami: 46
Sixers: 26

— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) May 3, 2022

https://twitter.com/SpikeEskin/status/1521302329886224385

Sixers with 14 turnovers that have turned into 19 points for Miami

Heat with 15 offensive rebounds

So even though the Sixers are shooting 46%, better than the heat, the heat have 15 extra shots pic.twitter.com/Xo6BSqUf6F

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) May 3, 2022

https://twitter.com/btoporek/status/1521301125194039303

The Sixers are optimistic that Embiid could return as soon as Game 3 or 4 when the series heads back to Philadelphia, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The team has to hold on to that hope because it cannot depend on Harden to lead the way to victory. Regardless of his history of postseason woes, Harden has not displayed the dominance we've grown accustomed to seeing from him at all this season, and he can no longer be counted on as a consistent lead option.

On the other side, Jimmy Butler (15 points and nine rebounds), Tyler Herro (25 points and seven assists) and Bam Adebayo (24 points and 12 rebounds) led the way for the Heat.

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid suffered a thumb injury during Game 3 of the team's first-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. And while The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania reported there is fear he suffered a torn ligament in his thumb, the veteran plans to continue playing through the ailment. 

Speaking with reporters after a 110-102 Game 4 loss to the Raptors, Embiid said he plans to play through the injury throughout the duration of the postseason, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps. If an MRI reveals he needs surgery, he'll undergo the procedure after the playoffs. 

Sixers head coach Doc Rivers also said after Saturday's loss that the team feels Embiid's thumb injury can't get any worse. 

"Yeah, there's concern," he said, according to Bontemps. "But, you know, it is what it is. The one thing we know [is] it can't get worse."

Embiid's thumb injury has yet to limit him this postseason. In Saturday's loss, he finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and three assists. He entered Game 4 having averaged 27.7 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists through the first three games of the series.

If he were to experience some limitations, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris would be able to carry the load for Philadelphia.

Embiid has been one of the best players in the NBA this season and is an MVP candidate after averaging 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists through 68 regular-season games. 

Philadelphia still owns a 3-1 series lead over Toronto and could close out the series with a Game 5 win on Monday at Wells Fargo Center. Winning the series Monday would benefit Embiid and allow him to get some extra rest ahead of the second round.

Seeing as how the Sixers have championship aspirations, Embiid could be waiting a while to potentially have surgery on his thumb. But if the team's playoff run ends with an NBA title, playing through the pain would have been well worth it. 

The short-handed Toronto Raptors were physical with Joel Embiid during a chippy start to Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday in a clear attempt to prove they weren't going to back down after losing the first contest.

All it did was fire up the MVP candidate.

Embiid torched Toronto's frontcourt with 31 points and 11 rebounds while leading the 76ers to a commanding 112-97 victory in a game that was never truly in doubt. While the Raptors didn't have Scottie Barnes (ankle) and saw Gary Trent Jr. exit (non-COVID-19 illness), their biggest issue was their frontcourt of Precious Achiuwa, Chris Boucher and Khem Birch couldn't stop the five-time All-Star on the other side.

Joel Embiid is a DAMN PROBLEM! Carry the hell on…

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 19, 2022

Harden to Embiid.

Too easy. https://t.co/TfrbmEAw1Z

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 18, 2022

Raptors are hilarious bro, they think getting in Embiid’s head would be a good strategy, he’s gonna be doing this all night to you guys thanks

— Prez💊 ‘ (@PresidentEmbiid) April 18, 2022

If you’re a basketball fan and don’t appreciate Joel Embiid you’re a fool.

— Brian Brewer (@bbrewerstandup) April 19, 2022

Two quick fouls on Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby for Toronto. Joel Embiid, meanwhile, is *very* fired up early. Ton of emotion on both sides in what's been a very fun start.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 18, 2022

Embiid is dominating the Raptors. They have no answers for him. Up to 19 points in the first quarter. #Sixers

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) April 19, 2022

The Raptors are going to be extra short-handed after Embiid fouls their entire frontcourt rotation out by halftime.

— Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) April 19, 2022

Joel Embiid had 19 points in Q1 👀#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel on TNT pic.twitter.com/evW6vV2TMy

— NBA (@NBA) April 19, 2022

Embiid right now pic.twitter.com/jodysRD6PO

— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) April 19, 2022

big fella does it all. 👌 pic.twitter.com/cO1tOWKeqi

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 19, 2022

Harden throws it up ⬆️
Embiid throws it down ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/z3AXKyiKPN

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 19, 2022

Raptors fans were surely frustrated watching Embiid attempt 12 free throws in the first quarter alone, but the whistle became less of a concern as the game progressed and the big man's teammates started taking advantage of the spacing he created.

Tyrese Maxey, James Harden, Tobias Harris and Danny Green also finished in double figures with Maxey drilling a clutch three to end a rare stretch of Toronto momentum in the fourth quarter.

TURN TF UP THENNNNN @JHarden13 @JoelEmbiid 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

— Maxx Crosby (@CrosbyMaxx) April 18, 2022

pic.twitter.com/E4o4VM7AjJ

— Jason Patt (@Bulls_Jay) April 19, 2022

Toronto getting absolutely thrashed by an opposing team that boasts the best player in the series by a mile is not new.

— Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 (@JoshEberley) April 19, 2022

what we like to see, @TyreseMaxey! pic.twitter.com/UYgvdsmZA9

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 19, 2022

The Raptors can at least take solace knowing the series shifts back to Toronto for Wednesday's Game 3, but it won't matter if they can't slow down Embiid and Co.

The Toronto Raptors have traditionally been a tough matchup for Joel Embiid, throwing double- and even triple-teams his way in an effort to get the ball out of his hands. 

So Embiid knows he'll need to rely on his teammates when that happens, particularly his newest teammate, James Harden. As Embiid told reporters on Thursday, Harden will need to be aggressive looking to create his own offense against Toronto:

I tell him to be himself. He's been doing a great job of being the playmaker, but we need him to be aggressive and really score the ball, especially against Toronto. With the way they guard me, we're going to need everybody. We're going to need Tyrese [Maxey] to be aggressive with all the attention that's going to be on me and James. Tyrese, Tobias [Harris], all the other guys, they have to make plays. He just has to be himself, and not worry about people talking about pressure. Whatever happened in the past, you look back at what he's accomplished and what he's done, he had to play against a dynasty. It would have been hard for anybody to beat those Golden State teams, so bad timing. But I'm sure it's going to be fine.

Embiid hasn't exactly struggled against Toronto this season, averaging 29 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and a block in three contests, shooting 46.6 percent from the field. But the Sixers, who went just 1-3 against the Raptors this season, were 1-2 with Embiid playing against them. 

The MVP candidate is going to get his, even if the Raptors do everything in their power to slow him down. The bigger question for the Sixers is who will carry the offense when the Raptors do force the ball away from Embiid. 

The logical call would be Harden, who proved to be one of the NBA's most talented and efficient scorers during his time with the Houston Rockets. 

In Philadelphia, however, Harden has been more of a playmaker than a scorer, averaging 10.5 assists per game. He's still putting up a solid 21 points per game as well in Philly, though it would represent his lowest scoring average since the 2011-12 season. His 40.2 shooting percentage and 30.2 three-point percentage during his 21 games in Philly would each be career lows compared to his previous season averages. 

That has naturally led to one major question: Is Harden simply adjusting to new teammates and finding his way in a new scheme, or has the 32-year-old lost a step and less capable of scoring at an elite level?

The Sixers are banking on the former, and that a full week off before the playoffs will help rejuvenate him for a deep run. Sixers fans are hoping that Harden was simply keeping some fuel in reserves toward the end of the regular season after his heavy workload during the Houston years often appeared to leave him worn out by the postseason. 

"It's good," Harden told reporters on Thursday when asked about a lingering hamstring issue. "I've actually been doing some sprints and some hamstring work this week, so it's a really good week to prepare myself for this first round."

If Harden simply has lost a step, however, it will not only be a major blow for the Sixers' title hopes but will leave them in a precarious spot going forward. After trading Ben Simmons for Harden this season, letting him walk for nothing as a free agent would be tough to justify, but paying him a massive supermax deal would leave them financially hamstrung in the years to come. 

It's all a moot point if Harden is back to his old scoring ways in the postseason. So the stakes are high, even if Harden isn't feeling the pressure. 

"Pressure, no. I feel good," he told reporters Thursday. "I'm ready to hoop. There's nothing to it."

Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden had a message for Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue: Don't hate the player, hate the game.

Complex's Zion Olojede asked Harden about comments Lue made about his free-throw shooting earlier in the year. The 10-time All-Star said they rolled off his back:

I don’t even pay attention to it. Free throws are a part of the game. You look at who leads the league, Joel and Giannis, what about if you take away their free throws? I don’t understand what that comment meant. Free throws are a part of the game. It’s on the defense to have discipline and not foul. That’s what coaches should be teaching their players. For me I don’t pay attention to it, I just try to go out there and make an impact on the game in a positive way every night.

Prior to a game against the Sixers in March, Lue remarked how Harden and Embiid are consistently able to draw fouls. He added he saw a stat supposedly laying out how neither player would be a top-10 scorer if their free throws were removed from the equation.

Here’s Ty Lue’s full pregame comments on Sixers stars Joel Embiid and James Harden, some of which were taken out of context before last night’s game. pic.twitter.com/1aOQGdNtUK

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) March 26, 2022

The context got stripped away a bit, especially after Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey responded on social media. Lue wasn't so much criticizing Harden or Embiid as he was speaking on how the two are so difficult to stop when they have the ball in their hands.

Especially after landing with the Houston Rockets, Harden learned how to exploit the referee's whistle. His rip-through move was so effective that the NBA tweaked the rules in 2017 so that he couldn't deploy it with as much ease.

Harden's 7,044 made free throws are the ninth-most all-time and make him second behind LeBron James among active players.

The NBA's new rules of emphasis undoubtedly impacted Harden a bit, yet he has still knocked down an average of 7.2 shots per game from the charity stripe this year. It's safe to say that the 32-year-old won't deviate from his plan of attack anytime soon.

Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden told Zion Olojede of Complex that he doesn't feel any pressure leading into his team's first-round NBA playoff series against the Toronto Raptors.

"I don't [have anything to prove] ... I don't feel any pressure. I don't feel any of that," Harden said. "For me, it's going out there and playing my game, trying to help my team win."

The 76ers acquired Harden in February in a blockbuster trade-deadline deal with the Brooklyn Nets, who received a package of players and draft picks that notably included Ben Simmons.

Harden has largely struggled of late, though, averaging 19.7 points on just 36.3 percent shooting (29.1 percent from three-point range) since March 7.

The 10-time All-Star, three-time scoring champion and 2017-18 NBA MVP had much more success this season before that date, however, dropping 22.9 points on 42.5 percent shooting (34.4 percent from three) across 48 games with the Nets and Sixers.

The only thing missing on Harden's sterling resume is a championship ring.

Having a co-superstar in MVP candidate Joel Embiid certainly helps, as does a talented supporting cast that includes Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle.

However, the No. 4-seeded 76ers have a tough matchup against the No. 5-seeded Toronto Raptors, who beat Philadelphia 3-1 in the regular-season series. The Raptors enter the playoffs as winners of 14 of their last 18 games.

Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet now lead the way for Toronto, with Gary Trent Jr. and OG Anunoby providing additional help. Everyone but Trent was a member of the 2018-19 title-winning team. Scottie Barnes has been a revelation as a rookie, and Chris Boucher has been productive off the bench.

It may be difficult for Harden to break his slump against the talented Raptors, but this is also a player who isn't that far removed from a stellar start in Philly. He dominated in his first four games, dropping 26.8 points and 12.0 assists per game.

If he can somehow reclaim that form, it would go a long way toward helping the 76ers traverse the gauntlet that is the Eastern Conference and make the NBA Finals.

For now, Harden and the 76ers are focused on Game 1, which is Saturday at 6 p.m. ET at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

If Kevin Durant had an NBA MVP vote, he would cast it for Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. 

The Brooklyn Nets star told reporters Tuesday he supports Embiid's case but noted the narrative aspect could be a significant factor, as "more people like Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and [Nikola] Jokic" for the award.

There seems to be a consensus among fans and analysts that the MVP race will come down to those three players.

Jokic is the betting favorite at -330 (bet $330 to win $100), per FanDuel. Embiid is second at +300, followed by Antetokounmpo at +800. 

Team performance would favor Embiid and Antetokounmpo over Jokic. The Sixers and Bucks both finished 51-31 during the regular season. The Nuggets had a 48-34 record, sixth-best in the Western Conference. 

There's a reasonable statistical argument for all three players. Embiid became the first center since Shaquille O'Neal in 1999-2000 to win the regular-season scoring title. The 76ers superstar averaged 30.6 points per game.

Antetokounmpo averaged a career-high 29.9 points per game and is on the short list of candidates to win Defensive Player of the Year. 

Jokic also set career highs in scoring average (27.1 points per contest) and rebounding (13.8 per game). He also averaged 7.9 assists per contest. The Nuggets star is the only player in the NBA to rank in the top 10 in scoring, rebounds and assists this season. 

Between basic stats and advanced metrics, Jokic was, by far, the best player in the league during the regular season. 

The regular season is over.

Here’s every stat you need to know about the MVP race. pic.twitter.com/O0V0KDbGuH

— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 11, 2022

Jokic also did that for a Nuggets team that didn't have Jamal Murray as he continued to rehab from a torn ACL suffered in April 2021. Michael Porter Jr. was mostly ineffective in the nine games he played this season before undergoing back surgery. 

Jokic seems to have the strongest resume, but Embiid has a good narrative that can carry him to the award. 

The Sixers were hardly a model of consistency this season. They navigated the Ben Simmons saga before eventually trading him to the Brooklyn Nets. James Harden was inconsistent during his 21 games in Philadelphia after the trade. 

Embiid was the one consistent presence for the 76ers all season. No Sixers player has won the MVP award since Allen Iverson in 2000-01.    

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The Brooklyn Nets traded James Harden in February, but a divide had reportedly been brewing between the guard and Kevin Durant since September.

According to Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN, the "discontent" between the two began when Harden showed up to training camp out of shape. Things didn't improve after a slow start to the 2021-22 season.

"Durant was astonished in the opening weeks of the season at Harden's lack of explosiveness and sluggish play, something he attributed in large part to Harden's being out of shape, as he did the ensuing hamstring issues," Arnovitz reported Tuesday.

Harden averaged just 18.6 points per game in October, shooting 39.8 percent from the field across seven games.

The All-Star eventually found his footing. But consistency remained an issue, and he averaged just 22.5 points per game during his 44 games in Brooklyn this season. It was a far cry from the player who won three straight scoring titles with the Houston Rockets, averaging 33.7 points per game from 2017 to '20.

Hamstring issues also kept him off the court in January and February, hurting a team that was already without Durant because of a knee injury. Kyrie Irving was also not playing in home games at the time because of his COVID-19 vaccination status.

"With each passing week, Harden became more isolated, with staff and teammates increasingly frustrated by the static," Arnovitz reported.

The Nets eventually sent Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal that brought back Ben Simmons, who has yet to suit up for Brooklyn.

Harden ended up only playing 80 regular-season games with the Nets, plus nine in the playoffs. Brooklyn didn't advance past the second round.      

The Philadelphia 76ers will face the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, and that means they will be short-handed for the games on the road.

Head coach Doc Rivers told reporters Matisse Thybulle will not be eligible for the games in Toronto because he isn't fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Restrictions in place for those contests will prevent him from taking the court in Games 3, 4 and presumably 6 should the series stretch that long.

Thybulle addressed the situation:

Thybulle: “This was a decision i made a long time ago…I was raised in a holistic household, anti vax is not a term that was ever used…we grew up with Chinese medicine and naturopathic doctors.” Says he has had to reconsider and look at situation differently

— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) April 11, 2022

Thybulle continues: he got the first dose of the vaccine last year under the impression it would prevent him from getting/spreading the disease 100%. Says when that wasn’t the case, he felt comfortable treating himself and approaching it holistically https://t.co/ZRjkdLNF0J

— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) April 11, 2022

If there is a silver lining for the 76ers, it is the fact that they are the No. 4 seed and will at least have home-court advantage. That means Thybulle should be on the court should the series extend to a decisive Game 7.

The Washington product is averaging 5.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 31.0 percent from three-point range this season.

While the offensive numbers don't jump off the page, Thybulle's biggest value to the 76ers comes on the defensive side.

In addition to his steal and block totals, Thybulle's defensive box plus/minus ranking is plus-3.4 after it was plus-4.5 last season, per Basketball Reference. Opponents are also shooting 5.0 percent worse than their normal averages from the field and 11.2 percent worse from their normal three-point clip when he defends them this season, per NBA.com.

His absence will dial up the pressure on the 76ers across the board on the defensive side when they are on the road, which could help the Raptors target James Harden in pick-and-roll situations.

Thybulle is someone with enough defensive versatility to guard Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet or OG Anunoby in this series and will surely be deployed on whoever has the hot hand for Toronto when the series is in Philadelphia.

It will just have to be someone else playing that role when it is in Toronto.