Game 7.
What more needs to be said? The Sixers actually showed some backbone for a change and came away with a 104-99 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in a hostile environment, impressively rallying from an early double-digit deficit.
I'll be honest, I had them written off. But the season isn't over yet--and we might still be playing in the Conference Finals after all.
So what drove them to the dub?
--This game was literally a tale of two halves. The Sixers never led at any point in the first half, and after taking their first lead 1:17 minutes into the third quarter, they never relinquished their advantage. The numbers bear that out--in that first half, the Sixers shot just 41.2/26.7/33.3, and they took only three trips to the free throw line. After the break? 40.5/57.1/75.0 with 20 free throw attempts. The overall shooting efficiency may be a touch uninspiring, but the substantial gains from range and at the charity stripe spoke to a better focus and aggression. Doc Rivers has been roundly criticized for his failure to adjust in this series--see coughing up 18- and 26-point leads in back-to-back games--but whatever he gave his team here, it worked. And it was a quick, visible transformation too--the Sixers exploded out of the gates in the third with an 14-0 run over the opening 3+ minutes keyed by four consecutive 3-point makes, and that run stretched to 21-6 over the first half and change of the quarter.
--Tyrese Maxey has earned his own blurb finally. After playing just over a minute in game 5 and totaling less than 33 minutes in the series up to this point, he nearly matched that court time in this contest alone. The explosive rookie guard went off for 16 points and grabbed a surprising 7 rebounds in 29:28 second off the bench, leading all second unit players in playing time by a wide margin. The kid always plays with an infectious energy, and it's disappointing that Doc waited until their backs were completely against the wall to really unleash the kid, particularly damning considering the uninspiring contributions of the remainder of the bench offensively. It's inexcusable now. However much longer this playoff run lasts, Maxey has earned the right to be the Sixers' designated sixth man, and the remainder of the rotation should fall into place behind him.
--Seth Curry has been a revelation in these playoffs, and that continued here. The 30-year-old matched Tobias Harris for the team lead in scoring with 24, and it came on his typically sterling efficiency--8-of-14 from the field and 6-of-9 from deep. I've been so happy that he has finally unleashed his lethal long range cannon--he's averaging 6.9 attempts per game in the postseason after only 4.8 in the regular season. And his consistency has been great, as he failed to reach double figures just once. Put it all together, and you have 19.1 points on 57.7/50.0/82.4. That's a beautiful line. And the Sixers have this guy under contract for two more years guaranteed at a rate below the mid-level exception? Highway robbery in the best way possible.
--I briefly mentioned Harris a second ago, but let me show him a bit of love in his own section too, because it has admittedly been a rough week for the 6'8" forward. To be fair, he deserved every ounce of shade thrown his way--in the previous 2 games, he was a -18 on the court and put up just 12.0 points on 38.5% shooting with 33.3% from deep. We were all worried that he was turning back in the postseason pumpkin he'd developed a reputation as from years past. But he reached down and found something in this one. After looking again passive in a scoreless first quarter with only two shot attempts, he came out swinging with 8 shots in the second frame and 12 points. He ended the game with 20 tries from the field. It was the cleanest or most efficient or even most productive we've seen from him in this series, but it was great to see him put the last couple of poor performances behind him. Big picture, he's still averaging 21.5 points on 50.8/38.9/85.3 and crashing the glass for 8 boards. He's been great, and he'll continue to be so.
--Because of early foul trouble, Ben Simmons only saw 25 minutes in this one. He finished with 6 points, nine rebounds and 5 assists, and was a team-worst -7. He did make half of his 4 free throw attempts, so that's an improvement. I'm trying, guys I really am. But my disdain for Simmons is only on an upward trend. He continues to lack aggression, disappear, and confoundingly have a global impact on the box score purely through his athleticism and natural ability. There is no refinement to his game, no nuance, and I'm beginning to think he and the Sixers are head for a divorce regardless of how deep they advance into the playoffs. If I ask myself the simple question of do I see anything about Ben changing over the length of his deal, the answer is a resounding no, and that's all I need to know.
What's Next?
You already know. The final showdown between these two teams will take place on Sunday night at 8 p.m. at what is sure to be a deafening Wells Fargo Center. This is when you rise to the occasion boys.