Despite the absence of Joel Embiid, left to rest for this second game of a “back-to-back”, the Sixers started the meeting in the best possible way. The aggressiveness and skill of Tyrese Maxey (27 points) allow them to quickly take an 11-length lead (25-14). Donovan Mitchell, however, wakes up the Cavs. He scored 13 points in the first quarter and, in his wake, Cleveland finished the first quarter with a 16-5 to get back on track (30-30).
Kenny Atkinson's men then pass the second. After Mitchell, it’s the duo Evan Mobley – Darius Garland who takes over. The Sixers defense can do nothing against the pace, movement, and skill of the Cavs.
Darius Garland's third winning shot gives his team a 14-point lead (66-52). Opposite, Paul George (11 points, 4/12 on shots) struggles to support Tyrese Maxey and Philadelphia's turnovers prevent them from staying in contact. It takes a 3-pointer at the buzzer from Ricky Council IV to limit the damage (66-55).
Cleveland, however, gives no quarter. A 9-0 from the Garland – Mobley duo to start the third quarter puts the Cavs at +20 (75-55). All the efforts of Tyrese Maxey allow the Sixers to catch up but the leader is too lonely. His teammates make 2/17 on shots and Cleveland takes off again. They passed their opponent 18-3 in the last five minutes of the period to take a 23-point lead (99-76)!
More worried, the Cavs drove the point home a little further before finishing freewheeling to take a fourth victory in a row, the third by more than 20 points.
WHAT TO REMEMBER
– The Darius Garland – Evan Mobley duo on cloud nine. Both players needed a quarter to get going, but once they got going, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley dominated the proceedings. The point guard scored 21 of his 26 points in the second and third quarters and the interior scored all of his 22 points there. Cleveland won these two periods by 23 points!
– Altruism, skill, and defense. In addition to scoring, Evan Mobley finished as the best passer (7) and rebounder (13) on his team. The Cavs played their game, finishing with 31 assists and 53% shooting success, including 22 award-winning shots, and 6 players with more than ten points. Their offensive efficiency allowed them to force Philadelphia to play on half court and Nick Nurse's men collided head-on with the Cleveland defense. The Sixers have in fact not exceeded the bar of 100 points or 40% shooting success.
– Tyrese Maxey, sole attacker. The Sixers All-Star point guard tried everything to help his team be competitive but he was far too lonely to hope for anything. He finished with 27 points at a low 8/22 on shots, while the Paul George – Kelly Oubre Jr duo compiled only 20 points at 7/23 on shots. With a rested Joel Embiid, the Sixers had to deliver an almost perfect performance to hold off Cleveland. They fell far short of the mark.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
