In many ways, the Philadelphia 76ers‘ Game 6 loss to the New York Knicks is a microcosm of the Joel Embiid era. They flashed glimpses of being a legitimate championship contender who can dig down deep in the face of intense adversity. Ultimately, though, the franchise is being sent to the golf course well before the Eastern Conference Finals begin.
To be clear, I am not blaming all of those gut-wrenching shortcomings solely on the 2022-23 MVP. Embiid has ensured that this team has a perennial slot in the NBA Playoffs. He has been present for the recent anguish, though, and will therefore be saddled with the reputation of not getting the job done in the postseason until Philly breaks through. Fair or not.
But few will scapegoat the dominant big man on this particular night. Despite fading into the background in the fourth quarter, Embiid posted a superb effort overall, scoring 39 points on 12-of-25 shooting with 13 rebounds in the 118-115 series-clinching defeat. The game was packed with drama, abrupt changes in momentum and remarkable determination, as the 76ers once again inserted themselves into NBA lore.
Once again, however, they were on the losing side of a classic showdown. Josh Hart, who was an X-factor throughout this first-round playoff showdown, drained the go-ahead 3-pointer that essentially sent the Knicks to the next round. In the big picture, Philadelphia has plenty of reasons to feel proud after all the challenges they weathered this season.
We are not going to bask in those moral victories here, though. Bitter results command special attention, and so, we will take a closer look at what was the final 76ers contest of the 2023-24 campaign. Let’s break down the players most to blame for Thursday night’s Game 6 loss.
76ers needed to be tougher on the defensive glass
Philly only lost the rebounding battle by two and managed to grab a sensational 16 offensive boards. Unfortunately, they gave more than they took, allowing New York to rack up 20 offensive rebounds of their own and almost 30 second chance points. Translation: the Knicks outworked the Sixers.
Hart recorded a team-high 14 boards and OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitch Robinson each had nine. The 76ers definitely exemplified perseverance, punching back multiple times when it appeared the Knickerbockers seized control of the action, but there was more dirty work to be done that they failed to complete.
Head coach Nick Nurse might be inclined to emphasize toughness going forward after seeing New York will itself to victory on more than one occasion this series. But that might force president of basketball operations Daryl Morey to shake up the roster a bit this offseason.
Tyrese Maxey could not follow up his career-defining Game 5 showing
One change this franchise cannot afford is losing restricted free agent Tyrese Maxey. The Most Improved Player of the Year solidified himself as one of the best young guards in the NBA today with an All-Star season that saw him average 25.9 points and 6.2 assists in 70 games.
His shooting percentages dropped, but that could be due to him being forced to carry the brunt of the offensive load with Joel Embiid out for more than half the year. That injury blow allowed Maxey to assume a leadership role on the team and continue to prepare himself for the big moments. All the hard work and hard lessons paid off tremendously for most of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
But an inefficient Game 6 performance unfortunately denies the 23-year-old guard the privilege to be celebrated for one of the greatest postseason series in franchise history. Despite sinking crucial buckets down the stretch, he was 6-of-18 from the field and 1-of-6 from distance. Although it is unrealistic to ask him to put the Sixers on his back again, the burden falls on Maxey to produce at a high level with the executioner lurking in the Wells Fargo Center.
He did not, and the guillotine finally dropped on Philly. Make no mistake, though, Tyrese Maxey made himself a haunting presence in the dreams of Knicks fans everywhere following a spectacular, logic-defying Game 5 display. He plunged a dagger into one city and simultaneously revived another (temporarily).
Maxey’s scintillating talent and undying resilience cannot completely block out the Game 6 struggles, however. More is required. That is a testament to the huge strides he has taken this postseason. With his athleticism and instincts, Maxey continues to raise the bar on what is expected of him.
Tobias Harris might have just ended his 76ers tenure with a whimper
One of the most enduring and headache-inducing questions surrounding this group is the following: Can Tobias Harris be the secondary scorer the 76ers need to sneak past a grueling opponent like the Knicks? Buddy Hield, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Nicolas Batum handled their share of the workload, and yet it was still not enough.
It is difficult to not ponder the what ifs, the biggest of which centers around Harris. If the veteran forward just added an iota of his usual production, perhaps the Sixers live to see a Game 7 in Madison Square Garden. He was scoreless and only took two shots in 29 minutes.
Simply put, Harris did not leave an imprint on this must-win contest. Under no circumstances can a player who averages 16.3 points per game in his career be so irrelevant on offense in this spot. How can the organization trust him moving forward?
I used the term Joel Embiid era to describe these 76ers earlier. Well, Tobias Harris has also been a fixture on the recently unsuccessful campaigns. When you earn more than $39 million in a season and fail to make a worthwhile impact in a critically important playoff clash, then there is nothing that can save you from the wrath of Philadelphia sports fans.
This union is likely over. Harris’ painfully quiet night is his last audition before he enters free agency. The 31-year-old still offers value in this league, but the 76ers can no longer entertain the notion that he can be a core member of a championship team.
Philly’s current model is not working. We can point to health all we want, but it is foolish to think that a dash of luck will automatically cure the high-stakes heartbreak that is plaguing this franchise.
