The Sixers squandered a major opportunity, falling to the OG Anunoby-less Knicks by a final score of 108-94 in Game 3. Philadelphia returned home, looking to strike back after falling behind 2-0 in the series, but once again ran out of gas, falling apart after the first quarter.
Here’s what stood out.
Dribbling, shooting, passing, rebounding, and defense. These are not suggestions; they are non-negotiables of the game.
The Sixers lowest moments have come when a light has been placed directly on their shortcomings in these basic areas. While the defensive effort has largely improved since the postseason began, their ability remains inconsistent on that end. The Knicks have been significantly more effective than the Celtics at attacking Joel Embiid in drop coverage, but far more troublesome is the team’s struggles to shoot and rebound the ball.
Philadelphia was just 9-32 from three in this game; the especially damning number within the numbers is Tyrese Maxey shooting only three shots from deep, only one of which found the bottom of the net, and it was a last-second heave from the corner. Maxey began the game going 4-for-5 from the field, but did not attempt a shot from deep until midway through the third quarter. His continued lack of aggression and volume shooting has hampered the offense, and possibly even more frustrating, he didn't reach the free-throw line once despite playing 44 minutes.
The Sixers are extremely light on shooting already after the decision made at the trade deadline. Maxey is among the team’s few truly reliable options, and he disappeared for numerous stretches throughout the game.
The Knicks continued to run an assortment of defensive looks, blitzing him early and often to force the ball out of his hands, prompting the offense to run actions through Joel Embiid, looking for Maxey as he cuts to the rim. It makes sense in theory, but in execution, it proved far more difficult. Maxey was unable to break free from the lengthy, athletic defenders New York sent his way, to their credit.
It’s worth noting that Maxey jammed his injured pinky finger in Game 2, and continued use of the brace has not helped him rediscover his shot, and it certainly doesn't encourage a desire to seek contact either. If Maxey is going to continue to play while so plagued, it’s up to him to find other ways to impact the game and for Nick Nurse to implement actions to create space for Maxey, maximizing the quality of his minutes, not just the quantity.
Paul George, the Sixers’ other reliable volume shooter, completely lost his legs after the first quarter. After beginning the game scorching hot, scoring 15 points in the first, George was 0-of-10 from the field and held without a point in the 28 minutes he would play through the second, third and fourth quarters.
As for Embiid, the former MVP took threes as the floor opened up for him to do so, but it was very clear his legs were not fully under him. Contrary to the belief of some after Game 2, the Sixers are simply worse off without him, as has continuously been proven when he’s missed extended time.
Kelly Oubre led the Sixers in scoring (22), but similarly ran out of gas, failing to score after his final bucket, near the 4:30-minute marker in the third quarter. Once again, expanding the rotation remains a potential countermeasure.
Nick Nurse needs to reconsider his decision to leave Justin Edwards out of the rotation. The Philly native had no postseason experience prior to this season, but the Sixers’ starters are exhausted, especially Paul George. As logical as it is to prioritize playing your starters, three of them are on the wrong side of 30, and a similar three, swapping George for Maxey, are currently playing through injuries.
Edwards will be susceptible to the foibles of inexperience, but he’s continuously exceeded expectations for the Sixers, and there’s little doubt that Edwards playing even a modest role would make an impact, given the poor finishes by Paul George and Kelly Oubre in this game.
Quentin Grimes, the Sixers' lone player seeing extended time off the bench, has simply been a massive disappointment during the postseason. Aside from a pair of three’s in the early fourth quarter, Grimes was an offensive non-factor, something that is inexcusable for a sixth man, especially when the only other players to come off the bench are also offensive non-factors.
It’s not all on Grimes; it’s also on Nick Nurse and Daryl Morey for the decisions that led to Grimes being the only theoretically dynamic offensive threat off the bench. Whatever you think of the level and legitimacy of Jared McCain’s performance in Oklahoma City, the Sixers certainly seem to have bet on the wrong horse at the trade deadline.
The Sixers are clearly short on both volume shooters and sharpshooters, and their lack of dribbling and passing depth limits their ability to create clean looks, further compounding their shooting woes.
As bad as their shooting performance has been, the Sixers’ inability to rebound remains their Achilles' heel. Being outrebounded 49-33 is partly due to Philadelphia’s poor shooting and inability to secure the ball on both ends. It’s partially a personnel issue, but there’s a very real lack of game planning and an even more damning lack of a desire to rebound that is plaguing this team.
Embiid’s decreased mobility is a major contributor to those woes, as is his decreased physicality. Mike Brown has done a tremendous job countering what Nick Nurse has put in place for Embiid, keeping him moving defensively, taking advantage of his limited mobility, and keeping him off-balanced and out of position on the boards.
To be clear, it is not all on Embiid. The rest of the team has struggled mightily to battle for rebounds, whether due to poor positioning, a desire to push the offensive pace, or, in many cases tonight, an inability to secure the ball after contact. The majority of the team is also poorly disciplined when it comes to boxing out, and they seem constantly at a matchup disadvantage, either in size or explosiveness on the boards.
The Sixers would be well served by finding a new starting option to fit between Paul George and Joel Embiid at the four, but like the Sixers’ shooting struggles, that’s a conversation for the summer.
The season isn’t quite over yet, but against a team that has consistently outplayed them in most of the fundamental aspects of the game, the Sixers face an incredible challenge, especially as no team has ever overcome a 3-0 series deficit.
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