Well, you knew they weren't going to run the table.
The 76ers lost for the first time this season Monday night in Phoenix, falling 114-109 to an up-and-coming Suns team that has a good head coach in Monty Williams, as well as a remarkable young talent in Devin Booker. As he has done in the past, Booker gave the Sixers fits—scoring 40 points with 27 coming in the second half. In his last five games against Philadelphia, Booker has averaged 31.2.
Going 82-0 wasn't meant to be, but to steal a line from Doug Pederson—"the sky isn't falling."
Here are some thoughts from the 76ers first loss of the season.
It Wasn't Because Embiid Was Suspended
Let's get this out of the way—do the Sixers beat the Suns if Joel Embiid played? Probably. Was his absence a reason for them losing? No.
I stand by my argument that Embiid fighting Karl-Anthony Towns, without getting injured or injuring anyone else, was a good thing because it set a tone of toughness for this championship caliber team. Monday night was a winnable game even though Embiid din't participate. My next point is the main reason why.
Ben, Where Were You?
Simply put, Ben Simmons needs to take more than eight shots.
It was his lowest attempt total of the season, resulting in six points. Aron Baynes neutralized Simmons, also keeping his free throw attempts to just two, which means the talented point guard wasn't getting to the rim enough.
Thus, the topic of Simmons shooting jumpers has re-emerged after going fairly silent since he spoke very openly about the matter prior to the season opener. Everyone understands jump shots aren't his strength and it's great the he acknowledges it's something to work on, but, he needs to start taking them sooner rather than later because smart teams will pick up on what Baynes did, if they haven't already.
Sometimes, Simmons incredible ability is too much for a smart game plan. Monday night wasn't one of those cases.
To counter Baynes, Brett Brown used Simmons as a screener for Tobias Harris, who had a good game with 24 points. Simmons may be 6-foot-10, but as a primary ball handler, he needs to be a nightly playmaker before ball screener.
Again, eight shots isn't enough.
Rough Night For J-Rich
It wasn't a good night for the Sixers backcourt, as Josh Richardson finished with eight points on three-of-11 from the floor, while having trouble on the defensive end slowing down Booker and Ricky Rubio, who scored 21.
Al Horford, Wow
I can't speak for the end of his contract with the Sixers, but as a 33-year-old, Al Horford doesn't appear to be slowing down at all.
The 13-year pro was unbelievable—scoring 32 points on 13-of-20 from the floor, while hitting five three's and nailing a couple buzzer beaters. He would've easily been the star of the game if the Sixers won.
Horford has been just as advertised when General Manager Elton Brand brought him in. It will go a long way for him to be Embiid's main backup when the franchise's "crown jewel" isn't on the court.
Can The Sixers Guard Talented Guards?
The answer to this sub-head is yes.
While Booker scored 40 Monday and Damian Dillard 33 over the weekend, the 76ers also held Trae Young to 25 and Kemba Walker to 12.
Sometimes great players are going to get their points. Booker certainly deserves a hat tip for his continued dominance of the 76ers, who still could've won this game regardless of his 40 points.
