With the NBA in infinite quarantine, I am continuing my quarantine diary where I give my thoughts to a game from the beginning of the 2019-20 season. We don’t know when basketball will return so we could have enough time to go through all 65 games the Sixers have played before the resumption.
The Sixers are returning home on Military Appreciation Night to host the Charlotte Hornets after going 1-3 on the road trip. They have lost three in a row and they need a win to get back on the right track following the tough end to the trip. Philadelphia will be missing Ben Simmons again due to a shoulder injury and will turn to Raul Neto to start.
First Quarter
- The Sixers start the game by throwing a lob up to Joel Embiid, he misses it, but it was good execution. Philadelphia will take that look all night long.
- What the hell is Cody Zeller doing shooting threes like that? Is he really going to expand his game like that? If he does, then color me shocked.
- Embiid has taken five free throws already in this opening quarter. Zeller is looking around asking for help, but that’s not coming at any point.
- Furkan Korkmaz just threw a behind the back pass to Neto who drills a triple and I’m floored. Korkmaz is getting cocky on all of us out here. Philadelphia is up 20-12 to start.
- Richardson drills a three, he then finds Korkmaz for a layup, and Korkmaz then steps out and he hits a three. The confidence that Korkmaz continues to show is huge for this team going forward. They need somebody to fire up from deep consistently for the offense. Philadelphia leads it 33-24 after one.
Second Quarter
- The Sixers just had one of the more beautiful sequences you will ever see. James Ennis III scored, Embiid rejected Devonte’ Graham, and it then led to an Ennis III slam in transition. The Sixers lead is up to 37-25 and it leads to a James Borrego timeout for Charlotte.
- Embiid then finished an And-1 against Bismack Biyombo and he then outhustled Biyombo for an offensive rebound and a dunk to stretch the lead to 41-28. Charlotte’s big men are going to have nightmares of Embiid after this one is over.
- On the other hand, why is Zeller looking so skilled in this one? He finishes a nice And-1 inside and he then finesses his way in for a slam. Malik Monk then knocks down a three and Charlotte is within 47-39.
- Who answers back? If it isn’t Embiid, then it’s Korkmaz. He comes off a screen and he then knocks down a floater to stretch it back to 10.
- Charlotte really does have some nice young talent on this roster. They come charging back as Graham hits a three to kickstart an 18-4 run. Their big guys are giving the Sixers some issues as rookie P.J. Washington stepped out for three and Zeller somehow just steps into another three. Neto then fouls Graham on a three and the Hornets lead is 58-53 at the half.
Third Quarter
- The Sixers start the third quarter on a good note as they dump the ball into Embiid who kicks it out to Richardson for an open three. They then post Al Horford up on the low block and he bullies his way for a layup before Neto and Embiid score a bucket each. The lead is now 62-60 in favor of Philadelphia.
- Wow. Horford just welcomed Washington to the NBA. He had a quick spin move to the baseline and he finishes a reverse layup plus a foul from Dwayne Bacon. The lead is now 69-64 before Korkmaz drills a corner triple to push it to 72-64. I’m not sure what Brett Brown told them in the locker room, but it has lit a fire under them.
- The Hornets are a pesky bunch. They creep back into it as Malik Monk scores nine straight points for Charlotte and they pull to within 83-77. Brown has to call a timeout as it seems that Philadelphia should be leading by more right now.
- The Sixers lead is 88-81 after Richardson knocks down a three. Philadelphia looks out of it. They look uninterested in this game right now. Charlotte looks like their lives are on the line. That’s why the Hornets are still in this one.
Fourth Quarter
- The Sixers open the fourth on a 7-0 run as Richardson and Mike Scott get a bucket each before Trey Burke finishes a layup with Embiid being fouled. The Hornets do answer back with a Cody Martin three to keep themselves in it. I’ve been impressed with their fight in this one.
- Tobias Harris is quietly having an efficient night. He comes off a curl and drills a 20-foot jumper, he knocks down two free throws, and he then rejects Miles Bridges at the rim. He’s just a solid basketball player.
- Scott knocks down a triple and Neto glides in for two. The lead is now 108-89 with 2:46 to go and that should just about do it. What is interesting is, Matisse Thybulle is entering the game for the first time. He had gotten a ton of minutes before this game. Maybe the Simmons absence is affecting that.
- The Hornets make one final push to make the score a bit more respectable, but the Sixers get it done 114-106 to improve to 3-0 at home.
Embiid led Philadelphia with 18 points and nine rebounds and Korkmaz added 17 off the bench. Horford had 15 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, Harris had 14 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, and Richardson had 11, seven rebounds, and six assists.
Philadelphia won the rebounding battle 49-31 as Embiid had himself a dominant game down low. The one thing that stands out is that Zeller had 24 points and he made two from deep. That is just insane.
The Sixers host the Cleveland Cavaliers up next on the schedule. [lawrence-related id=28928,28921,28914]