Sixers suffer defeat to Bulls as Harden’s poor performance proves costly

By | Bullscore 21 Mar, 2023

The Sixers put up a good fight against the Bulls, playing two overtime, but unfortunately, they faced some setbacks. Joel Embiid fouled out and James Harden had a really bad game, which ended up costing them the win. As a result, they lost 109-105 and their eight-game winning streak came to an end. That’s what I observed.

The positive aspect of Joel Embiid’s game is his speed and pace of play. Although we usually associate the pace of play with guards, Embiid is currently playing at a historic level due to his quick decision-making abilities. He has become more purposeful in his play, as demonstrated in the recent game against the Pacers. Embiid is quickly sensing when he is being double or triple-teamed and responds by either passing the ball or drawing fouls from defenders who invade his personal space. This was exemplified in the game against the Timberwolves when Patrick Beverley fouled Embiid while trying to disrupt his post-up. Embiid’s speed and ability to play under pressure have been instrumental in his dominant performances, including the game against the Celtics prior to the All-Star break. This skill has become one of his most powerful assets.

At the beginning of the third quarter, Joel Embiid appeared to realize that the rest of the Sixers team was struggling to generate offense beyond what he could produce. As a result, Embiid raised his level of physical play, forcing the Bulls to use aggressive tactics such as reaching, grabbing, and jumping to try and impede his path to the basket. This led to Embiid drawing multiple fouls and making repeated trips to the free-throw line throughout the quarter. The Bulls were also in the penalty for the last 7 minutes and 37 seconds of the quarter, which gave Embiid and the Sixers even more opportunities to score from the charity stripe.

The negative aspect of the game was the Sixers’ poor ball-handling and inability to maintain possession of the basketball. It was almost as if someone had applied baby oil to the ball before the game. Despite their solid defense, the Sixers struggled on offense in the first half, and they could have had a much more significant lead at halftime if they had performed at their usual level. However, they repeatedly made routine plays look difficult and made several unforced errors, such as mishandling dribble handoffs, losing the ball while driving to the basket, and giving the ball away in transition. These mistakes undermined their defensive efforts and prevented them from building a bigger lead.

The turnovers were not the only issue for the Sixers in the game. Even if they had executed better or made more shots, their starting backcourt had a particularly terrible performance. Tyrese Maxey showed some potential with his ability to create off the dribble and get to the rim, but he missed a few key opportunities. On the other hand, his backcourt partner, James Harden, had what appeared to be one of his worst games as a professional. He struggled with his shot from beyond the arc, failed to finish in traffic, and lacked impactful playmaking. Additionally, he made several careless mistakes throughout the game.

Harden has been a crucial component of the Sixers’ offensive success this season, particularly when they stagger their stars and rely on him to lead the bench units without Embiid. However, even with the freedom to choose his spots on the court, Harden could not find his rhythm against the Bulls. He had difficulty executing in the pick-and-roll with Embiid and struggled to play through contact. Many of his attempts at driving to the paint resulted in weak flip shots that did not find the mark. Although it’s possible that he may have been impacted by a few missed calls, Harden was simply not able to contribute much to the Sixers’ offense on Monday night.