The NBA regular season continued, and Philadelphia's game against the Nuggets officially began. After the game started, the two teams played very fiercely, and the two teams at both ends of the attack and defense did not give in to each other. In the first quarter, Philadelphia led by 15 points. In the second quarter, the difference between the two teams was only 5 points. Even into the second half. The points difference between the two teams has also remained in single digits. At the end of the third quarter, the difference between the two teams was 3 points. Still, in the final game, the Nuggets withstood the pressure to win 114-110 against Philadelphia.
To be honest, there are only two reasons why the Nuggets were able to laugh at the end of this game. First: Jokic deserves to be the MVP. Jokic played 33 minutes and shot 8-of-16, including 1-of-3 from three-point range and 5-of-7 from the free throw line, and got 22 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Second: The Nuggets' offensive efficiency in this game is very high, and it completely suppresses Philadelphia. The Nuggets shot 53 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range. Philadelphia shot just 42 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range. There is no doubt that these two points are undoubtedly the key factors for the Nuggets to be able to laugh to the end.
Well, after talking about the Nuggets who won, let's talk about Philadelphia, who lost. I believe that many fans will ask: "Harden and Embiid played so well in this game, why did they lose the game in the end?" "Yes, everyone is right that Embiid and Harden are very eye-catching in this game. Embiid had 34 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists, Harden had 24 points, 9 rebounds and 11 assists, and the two combined to contribute 58 points, 18 rebounds and 15 assists. But, even in the face of such a shining statistic, Philadelphia still lost the game? To this end, everyone must ask a sentence why? Below, I will talk to you about why Philadelphia lost. Overall, Philadelphia's new OK combination is filled, and Harden is back to its original form, to be precise.
Perhaps, many fans are very disapproving of my statement. Even, some fans will say that the editor is talking about the river. However, if you've watched the last three games you wouldn't say that. To borrow a phrase from Pierce, "Harden doesn't play without the ball," although it is only a short sentence, but this sentence points out Harden's weakness. To take the simplest example, Embiid takes the ball singles under the basket, Harden will not choose to cut empty, nor will he actively run, instead Harden will only look at Embiid from a distance. In the same way, Harden will always dribble on the line with the ball, and will keep dribbling under the crotch, but this style of play will only kill time and has no use for the team's tactical significance. Overall, Harden is not a good fit to partner with superstars. Because Harden is not good at playing without the ball, only by giving him a lot of ball power can he exert harden's maximum strength. Therefore, this style of play dooms Harden not to become a qualified second boss.
Harden was incompatible with Howard and Paul during the Rockets period, Harden and Durant were incompatible during the Nets period, and now the compatibility between Harden and Embiid in Philadelphia will be more difficult and more difficult. To put it bluntly, if Harden wants to win the championship, if Harden wants to be compatible with Embiid, then Harden can only choose to sacrifice himself, can only choose to change his playing style. But is Harden willing to sacrifice? I think the answer seems to be no. Because, if Harden is willing to change the way he plays, then Harden may already have a championship ring on his hand.