Despite 18 turnovers and Joel Embiid being neutralized in the fourth quarter, the 76ers only lost by eight points.
Starting forward Tobias Harris called the loss “sour,” but added, “We know the opportunity ahead. This league, this playoffs, this run is all about confidence, so you can’t hang your head for too long.”
Harris and head coach Brett Brown understand the importance of Embiid being more active. The All-Star center said Monday night after the loss that he needs to take over, and 26 points aren’t good enough if the Ben Simmons-less Sixers are going to win this series.
Brown wants to help Embiid dominate the game.
“Trying to help him achieve what he’s saying he feels that he has to do,” he said. “I don’t see this being sort of a mutually exclusive responsibility.”
“Us finding ways to get him some easier looks, it would only come from us being more organized and just having a good flow,” Harris noted.
That’s where the turnovers come in. Brown concludes a lot of their turnovers happened on passes to the post from the wing.
Related
“Thing with Joel that interests me the most is anything that’s slow, anything that’s static, is easier for them to guard Joel Embiid,” he said. “So, I want to get in there as much as you can, just not the way at times it was done. It’s too easy to tee off on. You could roll him into the post. You could elbow isolation — let him play a back-down.”
Brown finds it ineffective to give him the ball in that “slow and static” situation.
“It doesn’t help anybody,” he added.
We’ll find out Wednesday night in Game 2 if the Sixers can create dominant opportunities for Embiid, while taking better care of the ball.