Sixers Vs. Bucks: James Harden, Sixers Storm Back But Fall to 0-2

3 observations after Sixers storm back vs. Bucks but fall to 0-2 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers have gotten two outstanding performances from James Harden.

They’ve yet to pick up any wins in their 2022-23 season.

While Harden posted 31 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, the team fell to 0-2 Thursday night in its home opener at Wells Fargo Center with a 90-88 loss to the Bucks. 

Wesley Matthews’ three-pointer with 24.7 seconds left put Milwaukee up 89-88.

Harden drove from the left wing and tried to give the Sixers the lead with a close-range runner, but he couldn’t convert with four seconds remaining. He believed he was fouled on the play. 

Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each scored 15 points.

Giannis Antetokounmpo's 21 led Milwaukee, which had Khris Middleton, Pat Connaughton and Joe Ingles sidelined with injuries.

The Sixers will host the Spurs on Saturday. Here are observations on their loss to the Bucks:

Bucks live with Embiid mid-range Js 

The Harden-Embiid pick-and-roll got the big man an easy foul-line jumper that he sunk on the Sixers’ first possession. When reporters were let into the gym after the team’s Thursday morning shootaround, the two were working on that exact look with assistant coach Sam Cassell. 

Embiid went at Brook Lopez (17 points) on the team’s second play and finished through contact for an and-one layup. While other Sixers took shots soon enough, Embiid was the focal point of the team’s offense early, scoring 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting in the first quarter. 

After Tuesday’s opening-night loss in Boston, head coach Doc Rivers had assessed the Sixers as “pretty good overall” in terms of balancing their desire to get Embiid frequent touches with avoiding stagnant offense. The team started poorly on that front against Milwaukee.

Embiid bailed the possession out with a three-pointer at the end of the shot clock to cut the Sixers’ deficit to 25-19, but he needed to take a difficult shot because of confused, disorganized spacing around him. Later, Rivers didn’t like Danuel House Jr. cutting across the baseline and waved him out of the paint as Embiid missed a mid-range jumper. 

“I didn’t think we were very organized as far as offense," Rivers said after the game. “Didn’t execute is the better word for it. And it’s going to take time. We’ve just got to keep working on it. Even on the one iso for Joel (in the fourth quarter) ... we’ve run Elbow 5 for I think a year and a half now and we had two guys on the same side, so he didn’t have a clear side. That should never happen.”

Lopez and the Bucks encouraged Embiid to take mid-range shots all night long and were mostly rewarded for that approach. Boos were audible from the home crowd when Embiid sized up Bobby Portis late in the third period and came up short on a jumper, dropping to 6 for 19 from the floor. 

Embiid joked at media day that he spent his summer “chilling on the couch.” While that obviously isn’t true, it’s also apparent less on-court time than usual due to offseason surgeries has contributed to him being well below his best. Not ideal, but the Sixers will expect him to play his way into peak shape and be at an MVP level this season.  

New personnel, new game plan on Greek Freak 

The Sixers began with P.J. Tucker as the primary defender on Antetokounmpo, though guarding the two-time MVP generally requires heaps of help defense. 

As a team, the Sixers didn’t have the bounce-back defensive effort they wanted in the first quarter. The Bucks took an 18-11 lead on an Antetokounmpo fast-break layup. They started 7 for 9 from the floor, 3 for 4 from three-point range. 

Antetokounmpo had relatively few clear-cut opportunities to attack, in part because the Sixers limited their turnovers to five in the opening half. He was very efficient with his chances, though, making his first five field goals. Antetokounmpo’s first miss was a mid-post jumper that spun around the rim and out with 2:36 left in the second quarter. 

When the Sixers faced Milwaukee in March, Antetokounmpo feasted against Paul Millsap and Georges Niang. Rivers was quite reasonably determined to prevent anything similar. Essentially, when Antetokounmpo exited, Niang entered. When the Greek Freak entered, Niang exited. 

Niang took Tucker’s place alongside the Sixers’ other starters in the middle of the second quarter. He took a charge and then had a shot at a momentum-shifting, go-ahead three shortly after. It went in and out. Ultimately, a huge chunk of Niang’s on-court value will always be tied to his shooting. But, with Antetokounmpo on the sidelines, there was at least less reason to be worried Niang’s presence would seriously hurt the Sixers defensively. 

At times, the Sixers showed why they expect to be significantly better on defense than last season. Tobias Harris emphatically ended a strong possession in the third quarter by knocking the ball out of Lopez’s hands, off the Bucks center’s body and out of bounds.

As far as having switchable, athletic defenders, there's no question the Sixers are improved. Communication, cohesion and consistent effort will be necessary to form a top-tier defense. There’s a lot of work to do, although the collective intensity impressively skyrocketed in the fourth quarter. 

“Early in the fourth quarter, we take some positives from that," Harris said. “But overall, we know we have to be better and we have to play with that type of energy all throughout the game and figure out ways for us to get into a good flow and a good rhythm.

“Our defense from early on just wasn’t to the level that we needed it, especially in the first quarter — just giving them too many open looks, too many open threes. That hurt us, trying to recoup that and (come) back.”

Harden's in-between game a big weapon

Paul Reed got his first minutes of the season Thursday. Rivers preferred the 23-year-old in the first half over Montrezl Harrell, who played 11 minutes in Boston. 

With Reed as the backup five, Harden again started the second quarter next to four bench players. The Sixers weren’t as reliant on Harden during that stretch thanks to De’Anthony Melton, who posted seven points early in the second. If Melton’s scoring spurts often occur during his time with fellow second-unit players and Harden, that would be excellent for the Sixers. 

Rivers didn’t stay with Reed for long. He briefly turned to Harrell in the second half and had success playing Tucker at the five. We’ll see how the Harrell-Reed platoon of sorts plays out over the season, but a full game for Reed after a full game for Harrell would’ve made plenty of sense. Tucker should often be an appealing alternative.

Rivers said he did not like either Reed or Harrell's performances, but “they’re both going to be great.  … Trying to find who fits James the best is the key with that when Joel’s off the floor. And usually, both of them are pretty good rollers. (Tonight), neither one of them did that very well.”

Harden’s been the best part of the Sixers’ first two games by a wide margin. One key aspect of his strong start is that he’s seemed more willing to take shots besides layups and threes.

Early in the third quarter, the 33-year-old knocked down back-to-back floaters. A Harden mid-range jumper helped propel the Sixers during a 13-0 run that tied the game at 80-all.

“He took what they gave him," Rivers said. “Obviously threes and layups are nice, but a guy with his ability, he can make ‘em from anywhere.” 

Two three-point tries didn't fall for Harden with the score 82-82, but an elbow jumper did to knot the contest at 84 apiece. He put the Sixers up 86-84 after pump faking a three and dribbling into a shorter shot.

Aggression has appeared to come naturally for Harden thus far, and there's no question his in-between game has enhanced his threat level.