Nuggets vs. 76ers
On March 15, Beijing time, the 76ers sat at home to compete with the Nuggets. The back-to-back 76ers aim to continue the winning streak and hit the 1st place in the East. The Nuggets, who have lost two straight, hope to achieve a rebound.
Nuggets vs. 76ers
The Nuggets recovered a 14-point deficit
In the first half, the two teams faced each other on the court, in the middle of the first quarter, Sebel won consecutive steals, and the 76ers, led by Harden and Embiid, exploded a 17-4 offensive attack, extending the point difference to 17 points. Jokic led the team to chase the score, and after the first quarter, the Nuggets trailed by 15 points. In the second quarter, the 76ers scored consecutively on the outside, extending the point difference to 19 points. Jokic led the team to chase points in the late second quarter, Harden shot in succession, and the Nuggets narrowed the point gap to single digits. At halftime, the 76ers led 58-53. From trailing by 19 points at one point to closing the point difference to five points at halftime, the Nuggets recovered a 14-point deficit.
At halftime, the 76ers led the Nuggets by five points
Jokic 13+6, Nuggets pull back 14 points! Harden was 2-of-7, Embiid was 16+2, and the 76ers led by five points!
Half-game review
In the first quarter, Embiid dunked, and Jokic singled Embiid hooked the shot with color. Embiid blasted in a three-pointer and Jokic's inside line was fouled by Embiid, who hit all two free throws. Barton threw a free throw and Harris scored five straight points from mid-range. Morris scored on a jumper, Sebel scored 2 goals in a row, Gordon slammed and the game went into a timeout.
Sebel slammed into a whistle-breaking three-pointer and Gordon responded with a dunk. Harden and Barton each threw points, Embiid hit a mid-range shot, Sebel steal, Embiid assisted Maxi to shoot a three-pointer, Embiid hit a long-range shot, Sebel made up the basket, Harden threw a shot, and the 76ers went on a 17-4 offensive rampage to extend the point difference to 17 points. Morris and Hyland scored on jumpers, Jokic hooked up, the Nuggets responded with a 6-0 offensive move, and Dow Griffords asked for a timeout. Harris missed 2 free throws, Cousins assisted on a dunk by Jay Michael Green, and the Nuggets chased eight consecutive points to narrow the gap to single digits. Niang hit 2 free throws to stop the bleeding for Philadelphia. Harris hit a single in the penalty area and Embiid hit all two free throws. After the first quarter, the 76ers led 37-22.
After the first quarter, the Nuggets trailed by 15 points
In the second quarter, the two teams tried to shoot far away, Embiid made 2 free throws, and Cousins scored in response. Hyland scored three points on consecutive free throws, Embiid held high on a high-flying shot and Barton responded with a three-pointer. Embiid attacked fouls, Barton made mistakes and the game went into a timeout. Barton scored on a jumper, Milton responded with an open three-pointer, Sebel blocked Jokic, Harden counter-attacked and was fouled, followed by 2 free throws. Hyland made 2 of 3 free throws and Harden assisted Jordan Jr. on an empty shot.
Jokic made 1 of 2 free throws, Jordan Jr. scored 1 goal, Maxi threw a shot and Jordan Jr. blocked Jokic. Niang scored from a distance and the 76ers took a 19-point lead. Jokic hit a 3-pointer, Jordan Jr. was snatched by Jokic and Jeff Green counter-attacked with a dunk. Maxi hit all two free throws, and Barton returned the three-pointer.
James Harden
Maxi scored on a layup, Jokic singled Embiid hit a 2+1 and DowLeaves asked for a timeout. Montmorris made 1 of 2 free throws, Harden couldn't shoot from a distance, Barton scored on a layup, and the Nuggets narrowed the gap to nine points. Niang missed a long range and Hyland threw a shot. Harden missed a jumper and Jokic assisted Jeff Green's dunk. Harden couldn't shoot from a distance, and after halftime, the 76ers led 58-53.
Jokic erupted
Nuggets star Nikola Jokic played 17 minutes in the half, shooting 4-of-10, 1-of-2 from three-point range and 4-of-5 from the free throw line, and got all-around stats of 13 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. Jokic has a good performance on the offensive end, while also having a consistent output in rebound protection, tandem teams and defense. Jokic's outburst is the key to the Nuggets' ability to recover the 14-point deficit.
Nuggets Jokic
Harden slump
76ers superstar James Harden played 19 minutes in the half, shooting 2-of-7, 3-of-0 from three-point range and 2-of-2 from the free throw line, with 6 points, 5 boards and 5 assists. Harden was offensively inefficient in the first half, shooting just 29 percent from the field and picking up three-pointers. Harden's consecutive missed shots late in the second quarter gave the Nuggets multiple opportunities to easily counter-attack and score. Harden's loss is an important reason why the Nuggets can close the point difference. Harden, who delivered the most assists in the first half, needs to play more aggressively on the offensive end.
Embiid and Harden
Embiid stormed off
The 76ers' star JoelnBid played 15 minutes in the half, shooting 5-of-7, 2-of-2 from three-point range and 4-of-4 from the free throw line, and had 16 points, 2 boards, 1 assist and 1 steal. Embiid was in hot form in the first half, scoring the highest points between the two teams with 71 percent shooting. In addition, Embiid's three-point shooting rate and free throw shooting rate are both 100%. Embiid's rampage was the main reason for the 76ers' once 19-point lead.
76ers Embiid
Half-time stats for both teams
76ers: Harden 6 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, Embiid 16 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 break, Sable 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 breaks and 2 blocks, Harris 7 points and 3 rebounds, Maxi 9 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists.
Nuggets: Jokic 13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 breaks and 1 cap, Button 14 points and 3 rebounds, Gordon 4 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist, Jeff Green 4 points and 4 rebounds, Monte Morris 5 points and 3 assists, Hyland 9 points and 4 rebounds, Jer michael Green 2 points and 2 rebounds, Cousins 2 points and 3 rebounds.