On March 28, Beijing time, the 76ers lost to the Suns 104-114 on the road, missing four consecutive wins. In this game, the 76ers had the advantage in the first quarter, but in the second and third quarters, the team was blown up by the Suns, their defensive performance on the inside was sluggish, and on the offensive end, the team could not shoot, and they were at most double digits behind the Suns. In the final quarter, the 76ers tried to catch up with the point difference, narrowing the score gap to 1 point, but the Suns then played a 13-2 offensive wave to directly lock in the victory. The 76ers eventually lost to the Suns on the road and were swept by the Suns this season to end their 3-game winning streak.
In this game, the core of the team Embiid played very stable, he played 38 minutes in the whole game, 14 of 27 shots to get 37 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks, the presence at both ends of the attack and defense is very strong, the personal efficiency is also very high, in the face of Ayton's defense, Embiid once again played MVP level performance, played very bright in the game.
However, the performance of Harden, another core of the 76ers, was too disappointing, he played 39 minutes in the whole game, 2 of 11 shots, 2 of 5 three-pointers, only 14 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists, shooting efficiency is too low. In the final quarter, when the 76ers began to chase points, Harden did not have much presence on the court, his shooting felt terrible, and he could not connect the whole team's offense, and when facing the Suns' targeted defense, Harden could not adapt, and his state was very sluggish in the game.
Throughout the final quarter, he only had 2 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists on 0-of-3 shooting, compared to Embiid's play, Harden was not at his best at all, his personal performance was crotch-pulling, and his sluggish performance in the game became the main reason for the team's loss of the game.
The 76ers' rankings have also changed after losing the game, they were no. 1 in the East before the game, but with the loss, they also slipped from the top of the Eastern Conference to no. 4 in the East. Losing a game, losing the top of the table, while falling to the 4th place, it has to be said that this season's competition in the top 4 in the East is really too fierce, the outcome of a game will affect the final ranking of the team, and if there is a continuous loss, then in the competition for the top of the East, the team may fall behind.
For the 76ers, in order to achieve a better result before the end of the regular season, Harden needs to work hard, in the key game, he can not continue to play such a crotch performance, on the court he has to perform better, so that the 76ers can hope to win the game. At present, this 76ers team relies entirely on Embiid's play, it is difficult for the team to win the game, Harden also needs to make enough contributions on the court, if he shows his own level in the game, then the 76ers can get better.
With little left in the regular season, Harden needs to adjust his form as soon as possible, helping the team in terms of individual offense and tandem, and only if he plays at the level he should have, then the 76ers have any hope of impacting the No. 1 position in the East.