Philadelphia 76ers get defining win against the defending champs

The Philadelphia 76ers get defining win against the defending champs

If the game we saw between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers was a preview of the 2021 NBA Finals, then we have one interesting series with plenty of storylines to look forward to.

Both teams sit atop their respective conferences and could very well be the last two standing when all the smoke clears this season. This was a huge marquee victory for the Sixers in terms of confidence going forward as they have proven that they are real contenders for a championship.

This was a huge win knocking off the defending champion Lakers and it is the type of win that a team needs in order to be successful in this league. The Sixers handed the Lakers their first road loss of the season as they were 10-0 on the road before losing in Philadelphia.

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Early MVP candidate Joel Embiid once again carried the Sixers with 28 points and six rebounds while Ben Simmons posted a triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists but the hero of the game was Tobias Harris as he made the go-ahead basket with 2.4 seconds left on the clock after the Lakers went on a 13-0 run late in the fourth quarter.

Harris took advantage of the situation knowing that the Lakers would focus on stopping Embiid and Simmons as the first and second options. Harris can create his own shot and knows that he will get easier matchups due to the attention drawn by Embiid and Simmons. Harris is more of a threat in the clutch due to his ability to shoot from anywhere on the floor and is actually a better go-to option with the game on the line.

Credit for this win must also be given to the defensive effort of the Sixers. While they only won the game by one point, they were able to shut down the Lakers supporting cast which made a huge difference. Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Wesley Matthews, and Kyle Kuzma all combined to score nine points.

As a team, the Lakers shot 33 percent from behind the arc and just 64 percent from the charity stripe. Anthony Davis scored 23 points and added eight rebounds, but shot an uncharacteristic 50 percent from the foul line going 5-10.

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The Philadelphia 76ers should build momentum off this win and continue to stay atop the Eastern Conference. Embiid looks focused, Simmons appears to be locked in and if Harris can continue to play efficiently and making clutch shots, then this Sixers team could find themselves playing for it all at season’s end.