Upset 20 points fiasco! The 4th place in the East fell with a bang! The champion slashed 19 + 9 + 4, and Maxey scored 23 points
At 8:00 a.m. Beijing time on December 28, the NBA regular season will usher in a contest between the Eastern Conference Super Dark Horse and the traditional powerhouse, and the 76ers will challenge the Magic away. Embiid missed the game against the Heat with a sprained ankle and will continue to miss this game. Forward Batum is also out with a hamstring problem. The 76ers without Embiid will suffer dramatically on both ends of the floor, especially for Maxey, who will need to face more defensive pressure. And in the last game against the Heat, Maxey faced the Heat's high-pressure defense and only made 4 of 20 shots. However, Harris has been a big surprise for the 76ers this season, and he has played a good role as the team's third scoring point on the offensive end. In Embiid's absence, Harris' offensive production is what the 76ers need.
The Magic have a stronger defensive system than the Heat, and after winning the Wizards last time out, the Magic's record improved to 18-11, ranking fourth in the East. The key to allowing the Magic to occupy this position is the team's defense, which ranks fourth in the league with a defensive efficiency rating of 110.5. But the same flaw of the Magic team is the outside projection, shooting only 33.9%, ranking fourth from the bottom in the league. Suggs, the Magic's most important defensive point for this game, will also return. Therefore, this will test the performance of Banchero and Wagner Jr. even more. The starting lineups of both sides in this game, the 76ers used Maxey, Harris, Reed, Melton and Oubre. The Magic sent Suggs, Banchero, Wagner Jr., Blake, and Carter.
At the beginning of the first quarter of the game, the 76ers Harris broke through and Melton broke through one after another, and Magic Suggs immediately responded with a 2+1 and scored 7 points in a row. Wagner Jr. scored four straight points for a three-pointer in the paint zone, and Blake followed up with a three-pointer. The 76ers Maxey made a mid-range shot, and Reed hit a solid three-pointer from the outside. The difference between the two sides was very tight, Melton hit a three-point shot, and Banchero turned around to break through to make 2+1. In the last 1 minute, Banchero broke through to make a foul and won a free throw, and Anthony raised his outside three-point shot. Morris of the 76ers scored four points in a row from mid-range, and Beverley hit a hook shot. At the end of the first quarter, the 76ers led the Magic by one point at 26-25.
In the second quarter of the game, Magic big Wagner made a foul and hit 2 free throws under the basket, and Oak followed up with a three-pointer from the outside. The 76ers Maxey quickly returned the favor and scored five points in a row. Morris scored six points on a burst shot. Magic Anthony broke through and scored, and Wagner Jr. scored 4 points in a row on the basket. After half a quarter, the difference was still 1 point, Maxey scored 5 points in a row with a fast attack counterattack and 2+1, and Magic Banchero scored 6 points in a row from the middle distance to equalize the score. Fortunately, in the last 2 minutes, Maxey, Harris, and Melton broke through one after another, and a wave of 8-0 opened up the difference. At halftime, the 76ers led 52-46 and the Magic scored six points.
In the halftime statistics, Maxey had 14 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists on 6-of-8 shooting. Harris finished with 10 points and four rebounds on 5-of-13 shooting. Melton finished with seven points, four rebounds and two steals on 2-of-5 shooting. Reed had six points and two rebounds. Morris 10 points. Beverley had four points and three rebounds. On the Magic side, Suggs had 13 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal on 6-of-6 shooting. Banchero finished with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists on 4-of-10 shooting. Wagner Jr. had 10 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Anthony had five points and two rebounds.
In the second half of the game, Carter scored 4 points in a row under the opening basket, and Harris of the 76ers scored 4 points in a row with a dunk in the air relay. Melton and Reed scored back-to-back layups, and Oubre made three three-pointers from the outside to stretch the margin to 11 points. The Magic also reacted quickly, with Suggsri scoring seven points on a swoop outside shot, and Banchero hitting a solid mid-range shot. The difference was close to 5 points, 76ers Maxey attacked the basket to create 2+1, and Wagner Jr. responded with 5 points in a row. After half a quarter, the 76ers Melton scored four points in a row, played a wave of 8-0 and stretched the difference to double digits. Magic Wagner Jr. scored 6 points in a row to lead the team to chase points, but Maxey scored three points, and Beverley and Covington broke through one after another to stabilize the advantage. At the end of the third quarter, the 76ers led the Magic by nine points, 84-75.
In the final quarter of the game, Banchero and Beverley fouled each other, and then Banchero and Houstan hit two three-pointers in a row. The 76ers, Harris and Melton, hit two three-pointers and returned to color. The 76ers' Harris and Reed combined for eight points, and Wagner Jr., Banchero and Bitadze could also score baskets. But the 76ers were firmly on their toes for a double-digit lead, and time was running out. In the end, the 76ers defeated the Magic by 20 points, 112-92!
In the game, Maxey scored 23 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists on 9-of-18 shooting. Melton finished with 22 points and five rebounds on 8-of-13 shooting. Harris had 22 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists. Reed had 15 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Morris had 14 points and three rebounds. Beverley had 10 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. On the Magic side, Banchero had 19 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists on 6-of-21 shooting. Suggs 20 points. Wagner Jr. had 24 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.