The conference semifinal round of the playoffs is scheduled to begin next Monday or Tuesday.
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So before heading off into the offseason, here are three main takeaways from Game 5.
During his appearance on First Take, Iverson was also asked to name his Top-5 players in the National Basketball Association, which included Sixers’ All-Star center Joel Embiid along with LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
Embiid has played in just 94 regular-season games in his injury-shortened career, but the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 draft only looks muddled in the playoffs when the mask protecting the orbital bone he fractured last month affects his vision or comfort. Embiid had 19 points and 12 rebounds, Simmons had 14 points and 10 boards, and the entire team was energized by Mill’s surprise appearance.
The atmosphere inside the arena was hyped hours before the game started. The Sixers easily fed off Mill’s energy throughout the game. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and retired boxing great Bernard Hopkins sat near Hart and Mill, and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf joined them in the second half. The Sixers feed off of the patience that the city has given them.
It’s incredibly exciting to see this team grow on the court but it’s also immensely fulfilling to watch the bond between the players and coaches on this team grow so deeply.
The Sixers outscored the Heat by 14 in the third quarter after the game was tied at haltime.
Wade hugged Simmons at the end of the game and whispered congratulations in the Australian’s ear.
The excitement and momentum has made the 76ers one of the favorites in the East – especially after ousting Miami. This past offseason, he handed J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson a combined $34 million for the 2017-18 campaign alone, but those one-year pacts again preserved Philadelphia’s financial flexibility moving forward. Many Sixers – inexperienced, experienced, or anywhere in between – have willingly come to follow the rookie point man’s lead.
The Heat are surely frustrated with how this played out.
Simmons drove in the lane 1 minute, 31 seconds into the game for a layup attempt. Then he went to the foul line and made a pair of free throws to give the Sixers an 8-3 lead.
The Sixers’ on-court product in those lean years was all but unwatchable, outside of the few remaining diehards who relished in seeing the likes of James Nunnally and Brandon Davies strut their stuff.
Villanova, one of the two teams from Philadelphia, crowned as a champion. Of course, it’s better for the Sixers if Boston loses and is forced into a Game 7 with the Bucks, so that whoever ultimately wins is physically drained, while the Sixers rest. However, center Hassan Whiteside had only 26 points in five games, and was mostly ineffective trying to slow down Joel Embiid.
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I spoke with Greenville University junior, Mark Barigye, about his thoughts on the Sixers’ season and the chances of them winning the NBA Championship this year.
