James Harden Defense and a Montrezl Masterclass: Sixers take down Pacers in OT, 129-126 final
What if I told you that Joel Embiid was out last night and James Harden’s defense paired with a Montrezl Harrell masterclass would lead the Sixers to a 129-126 overtime win over the Indiana Pacers? You’d think I finally lost my mind right?
Well, the jury is still out on my mind but last night, that’s exactly what happened.
Embiid was held out of last night’s game with left foot soreness. Doc Rivers stated that he is currently “day-to-day” so we’ll be back with more information on that when available.
Without Embiid, James Harden dropped 26 points, eight assists, and five rebounds on the heads of the Indiana Pacers to lead the Sixers in a well-rounded offensive effort.
De’Anthony Melton scored 19 points with six rebounds. Tobias Harris notched a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Tyrese Maxey scored 17 points with six assists and ZERO turnovers. Shake Milton scored 13 points and Georges Niang finished the night with 11 points.
Montrezl Harrell stole the show last night scoring 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the floor with four blocks and five rebounds.
Montrezl Harrell:19 PTS | 5 REB | 4 BLK
Originally tweeted by Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) on January 5, 2023.
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Three Guard Lineup
The Sixers opted for a three-guard lineup last night, starting Harden, Maxey, and Melton. While it’s certainly different here in Philadelphia, the fact that the beat writers and other content creators act like it’s some revolutionary thing will be the death of me. I tweeted it, so you know I’m serious.
For those unfamiliar (of which there are many) there have been countless iterations of the three guard lineup through the years. The most notable examples off the top of my head would be the following:
- LaMelo, Graham, Rozier in Charlotte
- SGA, Chris Paul, Schroder in OKC
- Pat Bev, Lou Will, SGA in Los Angeles
You can even go back to the Lou Will, Grieves Vasquez, and Kyle Lowry days on the Raptors if you want to get real sick or hell, take it back to the Isiah Thomas, Eric Bledsoe, and Goran Dragic days in Phoenix. Point being, it’s not THAT crazy of a concept.
Bad Beat
James Harden killed our parlay in the preview by going just 2-for-8 from three point range. Endless pain.
Originally tweeted by Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) on January 5, 2023.
PAIN.
Game Highlights: Pacers vs Sixers
Originally tweeted by Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) on January 5, 2023.
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