The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers by two points, a margin that tells much less about the game than it seems.
Philadelphia (13-10) saw Luka Doncic and LeBron James manipulate its defense to their advantage 112-108 loss to Los Angeles (17-6) at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Sunday night. The Lakers’ downhill push took advantage of the 76ers’ lack of rim protection, which proved to be the swing factor in a game that wasn’t decided until the final four seconds of regulation.
When a team faces an offense headlined by Doncic, James and Austin Reaves, it will have to live with at least one player who gets his way. Philadelphia’s offensive defense held up as you would expect from a unit that ranks in the middle of the pack in terms of defensive rating. It wasn’t until one of Los Angeles’ elite ballhandlers beat a 76ers defender off the dribble that the real problem arose: rim protection.
Doncic, who finished with 31 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, routinely picked on Joel Embiid in drop coverage. The guard had little trouble forcing Embiid to commit to him off the dribble, effortlessly setting up a lob pass to Deandre Ayton, whose eight of 14 points came from Doncic’s gravity. The former Dallas Maverick also had a decent number of mid-range pull-up jumpers.
The same can be said for James, as he scored 29 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, along with seven rebounds and six assists. He found success regardless of who on the 76ers was guarding him and routinely forced their defense into rotation off the bounce.
Fans were concerned about how Embiid (16 points on 4-21 shooting from the field) would look offensively after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on April 11. The biggest concern, however, was how much juice he left behind defensively. The nine-time all-star has increased his defensive activity as the season has progressed. Still, his limited mobility has prevented him from defending, assisting or switching at the screen level at the pace he was used to.
The 76ers rank 15th in the league in defensive rating and it’s hard to believe their efficiency will improve without a consistent paint presence, regardless of their collection of quality offensive defensemen.
Here’s how it happened:
1st quarter
The 76ers jumped out to an eight-point lead less than five minutes into the quarter behind an impressive offensive effort. Philadelphia’s star collective of Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George blossomed off the dribble as the 76ers hit seven of their first 11 field goal attempts.
But Maxey was the first player to reach double figures in scoring, putting up 10 points on 4-7 shooting from the field in the frame. Many have discussed the Lakers’ need for more perimeter defenders and Maxey has only added to the concerns, leaving Los Angeles in isolation. He led the 76ers in scoring with 28 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and four stocks (steals and blocks).
Los Angeles cut Philadelphia’s lead, once 10 points, to six with three minutes left in the period. The 76ers threw the kitchen sink at Doncic defensively, providing gap help and double teams, but he was unavoidable. The superstar dissected Philadelphia’s defense with his three-level scoring and playmaking.
Doncic collected 10 points, five rebounds and four assists in the frame, giving way to a 12-4 Lakers run that pushed the score to 30 points heading into the second period.
2nd quarter
VJ Edgecombe may have converted the 76ers’ first field goal three minutes in to start the frame, but it was Jared McCain who stole the show. He knocked down his first three shots for eight points, putting his perimeter talents on full display. McCain and Embiid made two-man plays as the guard’s off-ball move got the better of Los Angeles.
However, Edgecombe came back into the action and powerfully attacked Ayton on the edge of a play with Embiid. Philadelphia’s use of its guards and Embiid’s screening talents allowed Maxey to rest and the 76ers to regain an eight-point lead midway through the period.
The Lakers offense struggled without Doncic, but he quickly revived it with a floater that ended a four-minute field goal drought. Los Angeles closed the deficit to just two points, but Philadelphia ended the first half with a 60-53 lead.
The 76ers tried to extend their lead and had Embiid operate inside the arc to no avail. The center missed 10 of his first 11 shot attempts as a group of Lakers defenders continually surrounded him and forced contested shots. Still, Embiid’s skill as a screen setter allowed Maxey, McCain and Edgecombe to go downhill.
3rd quarter
While Doncic headed Los Angeles’ first half, James took the initiative from the locker room. He scored seven points less than three minutes into the quarter to cap off a 12-3 Lakers run. James thrived in transition, scoring with and without the ball and finding a cutting Rui Hachimura to cut the 76ers’ lead to one.
That turned out to be just the beginning.
Los Angeles increased the lead to 23-7 and took an eight-point lead with just under five minutes remaining. Doncic and Austin Reaves’ dribble penetration distorted Philadelphia’s defense and Hachimura reaped the rewards. He scored seven points in the quarter, all of which came from the seriousness of the Lakers’ three big ballhandlers.
Meanwhile, the 76ers’ offense stagnated, shooting 33.3% from the field in that span. Their attack in the first half featured variety and off-ball movement, but that was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Philadelphia returned to isolation or drives with a lone ball screen. However, the 76ers regained their form and ended the frame on an 8–1 run, cutting Los Angeles’ lead to 87–84.
4th quarter
Many of the same trends were evident in the final twelve minutes as James and Reaves’ downhill creation collapsed the Philadelphia defense to generate offense. But Embiid made a basic jump shot to end the 76ers’ three-minute stretch without a made shot. Philadelphia gradually erased the deficit from then on, cutting the deficit to two points with seven minutes remaining.
The Lakers nevertheless kept the 76ers at bay as their offense continued to roll. Los Angeles relied on Doncic’s pick-and-rolls and all it took was one dribble to draw Philadelphia’s defense in and create an open shot for a teammate. He achieved a triple-double just eight minutes into the period.
Maxey drew two defenders, setting up a foul line jumper for Embiid, which pushed the score to 105 points with less than two minutes remaining. At that point, James put up five straight points to bury Philadelphia’s hopes of a late comeback and hand the 76ers their 10th loss of the season.
The 76ers will get a five-day break before taking on the Indiana Pacers (5-18) at Xfinity Mobile Arena on December 12 at 7:00 PM EST.
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