PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers found themselves in an unenviable position on Friday night at home. They were trailing the Portland Trail Blazers by 21 and struggling mightily to defend the perimeter as the Blazers hit 11 3s in the first half.
The Sixers could have packed it in, and nobody would have blamed them. Instead, they dug deep and rallied for a 120-119 win.
Joel Embiid had 39 points and seven rebounds, capped by a game-winning jumper with 1.1 seconds left. James Harden had 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Crucially, Philadelphia’s second-half defense was stifling, fueling the rally..
“We don’t quit,” Harden said. “We don’t give up. Obviously, we don’t want to get down 20, but find ways to continue to stay in the game, and at the end of the day, all you can do is give ourselves a chance. We did that and it worked in our favor.”
The Sixers have been much better showing off a mental toughness and resiliency they perhaps didn’t have in the past. They can’t keep putting themselves in these positions, but the fact they’re finding ways to win is a huge sign for the playoffs.
“It’s good,” Embiid added. “It shows you that we got some guys that can make plays. Guys are staying together. We’re mentally tough. A lot of times in the past, probably down 20. guys would probably be like, ‘Oh, game’s over. Let’s move on to the next one’, but we keep going. We keep finding ways offensively and defensively, but like I said, we gotta stop putting ourselves in those positions.”
.@Sixers trailed @trailblazers by as many as 21 points in tonight’s 120-119 victory.
That’s tied for the largest comeback of the season by the 76ers (21 at SAC on 1/21).
It’s the team’s third comeback win this season from 20-plus points down.
— Sixers Stats (@SixersStats) March 11, 2023
The Sixers made moves in the offseason to bring in tougher players. Additions PJ Tucker and De’Anthony Melton have rubbed off on their teammates and it shows in games like Friday.
“We’ve been doing it,” Embiid finished. “We’ve been down by 20 a couple games since All-Star break and it shows you, like I said, we got the right guys mentally.”
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