On March 28, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued. The Philadelphia 76ers' West road trip came to the final stop, playing against the Suns, the number one in the league. The head-to-head confrontation between Chris Paul and James Harden is wonderful, and the once light bulb combination is now in a team with championship level, continuing to pursue their championship dreams. However, the 76ers played really passively, especially Harden played too tightly, playing 39 minutes, shooting 2 of 11, 2 of 5 from three-point range, 14 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists, plus or minus -16. What about 37-year-old Paul? Played 36 minutes, 9-of-15 shooting, had 19 points, 4 rebounds and 14 assists, plus-minus +25.
The emperor cut 37 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks, really haggard. The next game, the 76ers will sit at home against the defending champion Bucks, another tough game. 76ers 2 straight losses? Alphabet brother crushed Harden, the emperor lost the scoring king and lost the MVP, and avoided the Nets in the first round.
Alphabet brother crushed Harden
After joining the 76ers, Harden struggled against the strong teams. Against the Bulls, he had 16 points, 8 rebounds and 14 assists on 5-of-15 shooting; 11 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists on 3-of-17 shooting against the Nets; 17 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists on 5-of-12 shooting against the Raptors; and 14 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists on 2-of-11 shooting against the Suns. So, in the next game against the powerful Bucks, can Harden get out of the decline? Facing the defense of the alphabet brother, I am afraid that it is another downturn. After experiencing the experience of the finals, the stability of the alphabet brother has become extremely strong.
Alphabet brothers have been able to contribute this season: 29.8 points, 11.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.43 blocks, shooting 55.1%, 3-point shooting rate 29.1%, and free throw shooting rate 72%. According to statistics, at the critical moment of the game (5 minutes left in the game, the point difference is within 5 points), the shooting rate of the alphabet brother is as high as 51.5%, and the free throw shooting rate is 81.5%. What about Harden? Shooting 40.5 percent from the field, 73.9 percent from the free throws, and 20 percent from three-point range. It can be said that The Alphabet Brother has crushed Harden.
The emperor lost the king and lost the MVP
Competition in the East is fierce, and before the match against the Suns, the 76ers were still number one in the East. However, after losing the game, it fell to 4th place in the East. Embiid this season is the biggest hit between the scoring champion and MVP, but the performance of the last 7 games will determine the final result. First, let's take a look at the regular season MVP. In the first place is Embiid, second is Jokic, third is Alphabet Brother, fourth is Tatum, and fifth is Doncic. Not surprisingly, it will eventually be born from the Emperor, Teacher Yue, and Brother Alphabet. So the next game against the Bucks is crucial. Today, the Bucks' record is better than the 76ers, and the numbers of alphabet brothers are not inferior to that of the Emperor.
Second, let's look at the situation of the scoring king, who is averaging 29.9 points per game, ranking second in the league. At the top of the list is 37-year-old James, and because the Lakers need to hit the playoffs, The old Jan's score will only increase and not decrease. Therefore, if the 76ers continue to lose, the emperor is likely to lose the scoring champion and lose the MVP.
Avoided the Nets in the first round
If the 76ers lose to the Bucks, there's also an upside, and that's that the first round will be perfect for avoiding the Nets. Today, Irving made his debut at home, but the team lost to the Charlotte Hornets, dropping to No. 9. However, it is inevitable to make the playoffs with the strength of the Nets, whether it is the 7th or 8th in the end, and the first round opponent is the top 2 teams in the East. If the 76ers lose to the Bucks and suffer two consecutive losses, it will be difficult to return to the top 3 in the Eastern Conference. The healthy Nets are terrifying, and Nash has revealed that Ben Simmons will make a comeback in the playoffs.
It could have been easier if the 4th, 76th-man first-round opponent in the East was the Chicago Bulls. The combination of Harden + Embiid wants to complete the goal of winning the championship this season, which seems unrealistic. Since the strength is not enough, let's adopt some strategies, and maybe there is still a glimmer of opportunity.