“They Really Killed Us”: 76ers Center Unhappy with Another Poor Performance in the NBA Playoffs 2020

The Philadelphia 76ers entered the playoffs after posting a 4-4 record in the seeding games inside the Bubble. They had beaten Houston Rockets with a massive margin of 38 points before their game 1 against the Boston Celtics. However, the 76ers failed to carry the momentum and lost back-to-back games.

Surprisingly, the 76ers could manage exact 101 points in both the games. Meanwhile, Celtics improved their numbers from 109 to 128. For them, the trio of Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, and Jaylen Brown again did the trick as they marched ahead with 2-0.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbnKznFRsEM?start=30

Joel Embiid knows exactly where the Philadelphia 76ers fell short

More than knowing that they lost, a team should know why they faced defeat. Thankfully for the 76ers, their main man Joel Embiid has that wisdom. In the post-game interview, the star center player revealed, “They’re pretty good at transition, especially at the start of that third quarter. They really killed us in transition. So, I think the biggest takeaway is that we shouldn’t play at their pace, we should play at our pace if we wanna run or if we wanna play slow and call plays for different guys.”

The 76ers had a six-point lead in the first quarter, but lost everything post that. Joel added, “But at the start of that third quarter, we were playing at their pace.” And as a result, the 76ers could add only 18 points in the third quarter. There was no coming back for them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fVs2W_fTTU?start=250

Joel Embiid had 26 points and 16 rebounds in game 1 while another 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists in game 2. 

The Sixers are missing the services of Ben Simmons

Ben got his left knee injured while playing against the Washington Wizards. He had been averaging 16.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8 assists per game in the regular season. Simmons has been consistently performing at the almost same pace for three straight years now. He has undergone surgery and most probably would not return to the Bubble now. 

Ben is known for his speed and the shooting ability that he brings to the table. Missing him is a huge blow for the Sixers. Both Shake Milton and Mattice Thybulle are playing in their first playoff. Hence, they are small on the experience and handling the pressure. But all that remains is pressure on the Sixers, given that they have to win if they want to stay in the series.

They will next play in the NBA Playoffs 2020 on August 21 at 6:30 PM ET, TNT.