Philadelphia 76ers: Grades from 102-94 loss to Boston Celtics

The Philadelphia 76ers entered game three of their first-round match up against the Boston Celtics, hoping to fend off the embarrassing thought of a possible sweep. Late game blunders would doom their chances.

Down 2-0 in the series, the Philadelphia 76ers were desperate for a win. They didn’t get it, and Brett Brown is just one elimination game away from losing his job.

In the first few minutes of the game, it was a continuation of game two. Tatum was hot, and the Sixers were not. Joel Embiid was getting touches, but he was fouled more than he was able to unleash a field goal. Before he would go into the locker room at the half, would hit 2-for-3 shots from beyond the arc, but most of his production came from the free throw line.

The highest paid player for the 76ers, Tobias Harris, played with fervor early and made a few easy baskets to get on the board. Unfortunately, nobody else in the first quarter was much help. The stat line for the Sixers’ guards? 0-for-7. The bench for the 76ers was even worse. The only field goal in 24 minutes from the Sixers bench came from a jump shot by Alec Burks.

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Luckily, for the Sixers, Jayson Tatum got into foul trouble early and had to sit most of the second quarter. Other players stepped up as he sat on the bench. Marcus Smart came in to hit some big shots and take advantage of Shake Milton’s poor defense. Celtics center Enes Kanter hit some open shots, and Jaylen Brown played all but two minutes in the first half, scoring 13 points.

The first half ended up being closer than most expected. The Sixers trailed by only a basket before they left for the locker room at intermission.

Out of the locker room in the second half, Kemba Walker heated up. By himself, he went on an 8-0 run, showing off his offensive versatility. While Walker scored at will, the Sixers went cold. Tobias Harris, who is without a single 3-pointer in the series, tried to contribute in other ways, grabbing multiple offensive rebounds.

The Sixers’ bench went cold as well, with Furkan Korkmaz showing why his regular season performances were fool’s gold. Alec Burks provided a late boost in the second half, but nobody else gave much production. When Mike Scott gets minutes, you know the Sixers are desperate.

Shake Milton, who looked out of control at times, really gave an offensive spark when Embiid sat on the bench. Milton was able to hit shots when his teammates could not. He drove the lane and pulled up for 3, knocking down 3s to keep his team close. Even when Embiid returned, Milton was the only player keeping the Sixers in the game, scoring from a variety of spots on the floor.

A few minutes into the fourth quarter, Brad Stevens resorted to a zone defense, catching the Sixers’ offense off guard. The Sixers adjusted and eventually took the lead with some big free throws by Embiid. However, the 76ers big man practically gave the game away with a terrible turnover pass that led to a Boston bucket. On the next play, Embiid missed a shot in traffic that started a Boston fast break and ended in a clear-path foul.

The game ended on an 8-0 Boston run, leaving the Sixers just one game away from elimination.

B-. 35 mins | 30 pts | 13 reb | 1 ast | 1 stl | 1 blk | 4 TO | 7-20 FG | 2-5 3PT| 14-16 FT | 5 PF | -18 Embiid played his heart out, but it was not good enough. He kept the Sixers in the game with his foul shooting, but his turnover in crunch time was the dagger that punctured all hope for the season.. C. Philadelphia 76ers. JOEL EMBIID

C-. 39 mins | 15 pts | 15 reb | 4 ast | 1 stl | 1 blk | 2 TO | 6-19 FG | 0-5 3PT| 3-4 FT | 3 PF | -14 This in not what Tobias Harris imagined his role being in a 76ers uniform. Being the scapegoat for a team with playoff aspirations and the thief who stole $180 million from a proud organization, known for its basketball tradition. He did grab 15 boards, but his lack of a single 3-pointer will go down as one of the worst stat lines in Sixers’ history.. SF. Philadelphia 76ers. TOBIAS HARRIS

SG. Philadelphia 76ers. JOSH RICHARDSON. C-. 42 mins | 17 pts | 3 reb | 3 ast | 2 stl | 2 blk | 2 TO | 5-17 FG | 3-11 3PT| 4-4 FT | 2 PF | -14 Josh Richardson played a ton of minutes, but his production weighed an ounce. Although he did score 17 points, his shooting percentage was poor and his other stats were unimpressive. The Sixers could have used his athleticism to shut down Kemba Walker, but that just did not happen.

Philadelphia 76ers. SHAKE MILTON. C. 38 mins | 17 pts | 6 reb | 3 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 2 TO | 6-18 FG | 3-9 3PT| 2-2 FT | 3 PF | -7 A turnover late in the game should not stand out in this game for Milton. Although he struggled on defense, he was the 76ers’ second best offensive player tonight. He hit some clutch threes and scored on multiple drives to keep the Sixers from falling apart against the stellar defense of Boston. It is astounding how a second-year, second-round pick had so much on his shoulders when he is one of the lowest paid players on the team.. PG

F. 38 mins | 6 pts | 10 reb | 0 ast | 1 stl | 2 blk | 1 TO | 1-5 FG | 0-2 3PT| 4-6 FT | 4 PF | -4 This is not the Al Horford the fans of Philadelphia thought they were getting. This is not the same player who gave Embiid fits in recent years. Instead, he is a shell of himself. His former teammates have embarrassed him in this series, and it is safe to say that his trade value has dipped tremendously since the start of this series.. PF. Philadelphia 76ers. AL HORFORD

Next. 2020 NBA Draft Big Board 3.0. dark

Game 4 is on Sunday at 1:00 E.T. on ABC.

GRADES: Boston Celtics 102, Philadelphia 76ers 94

By Uriah Young | Aug 21, 2020

The Philadelphia 76ers entered game three of their first-round match up against the Boston Celtics, hoping to fend off the embarrassing thought of a possible sweep. Late game blunders would doom their chances.