Beaten by Miami on Christmas Eve, the Sixers continued their stay in Florida nearOrlando and, this time, they did not miss (112-92).
In the absence of Joel Embiid (ankle), these are Tyrese Maxey (23 points, 6 rebounds), Tobias Harris (22 points, 7 rebounds) and De’Anthony Melton (22 points, 5 rebounds) who carried the attack, while Paul Reed (15 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks) was solid under the panels.
A success which allows Philadelphia to strengthen its place in the Top 3 of the East, while Orlando moves back a notch (5th), tied with its Florida neighbor from the Heat. Logic respected therefore, both in the ranking and in view of the appearance of this part, generally dominated by Philly.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Philadelphia responded collectively. As uncertainty still reigns around the state of health of Joel Embiid, the Sixers cannot afford to drop too many matches while waiting for him and, last night, the local collective did the job well. With six players over 10 points and three over 20 points, Nick Nurse can rejoice in the face displayed by his men, who mastered the debates by leading by around ten points throughout the second half, without their franchise player. This bodes well for the future, which promises to be tough with two trips to Houston then Chicago to end the year 2023.
– Orlando broke his teeth in “back-to-back”. Limited to just 92 points (39% skill, including 27% from 3-point range), the Magic signed their worst scoring total of the season. Proof of the quality of the Sixers' defense, which pushed them to also commit 16 turnovers. Like Paolo Banchero, the Floridians experienced a delicate evening, the day after their victory in Washington. Less and less threatening as the minutes go by, Franz Wagner's teammates have been struggling against the big teams from the East for two weeks: five defeats against the quartet Boston – Milwaukee – Philadelphia – Miami…
How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
