The Philadelphia 76ers have won four games, and short of the common thread of Tyrese Maxey’s sustained brilliance, each has contained unique elements.
They won in Boston when Joel Embiid struggled offensively, then beat Orlando without him in the lineup and saw him dominate Washington for 23 minutes.
They have seen VJ Edgecombe be historically productive on offense in Boston, then complementary in other outings, using much more than his scoring ability.
They beat Charlotte thanks to three key 3-pointers from Justin Edwards and a game-changing run of seven points and 13 rebounds in 16 minutes from Andre Drummond. Adem Bona, who struggled mightily against the Hornets, was a difference-maker with five rebounds and five blocks in 18 minutes of Tuesday night’s 139-134 rally past Washington in overtime.
A lot of things are going right for the 76ers at the moment, not least of which is reaching four wins by the end of October where last year it took 18 games until Nov. 30 to get there.
“We’re doing a really good job of executing stuff,” coach Nick Nurse said after Monday’s 136-124 win over Orlando. “If we go back to the Boston game, there were a lot of changes going on in our defensive coverages in the last three minutes of the game, and they were getting them done. The game the other night, we made a bunch of changes to get some energy going to start the fourth, and those were all defensive changes. But just little things keep adding up.”
Each game has featured adversity. The 76ers trailed the Celtics by 14 in the fourth quarter and the Hornets by as many as 11. They didn’t lead in the second half at all in Washington, down by as many as 19 in what looked for all the world like a back-to-back dud. But they managed to prevail, Bona’s put-back dunk with 27.6 seconds left in overtime their first lead since the first quarter.
The offensive execution, first and foremost, shines. The 76ers have scored no fewer than 117 points in each game; they hit that level just 20 times last season. They have three games of 125 or more points, something they did only eight times last year.
The faster, more aggressive Sixers are getting contributions from all over the roster. The big man question mark has been answered by committee, with Embiid still on a minutes restriction but having contributed to three of four wins.
Dominick Barlow was great in Boston with 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists but has missed the last two games with an arm laceration suffered against Charlotte. No worry, since Drummond saved the day that night, helping the 76ers counter Charlotte’s size with a stellar outing in a game where he didn’t enter for the first time until the third quarter.
“Extremely happy for him,” Embiid said Saturday. “Obviously, last year, everybody had a tough year, but trying to figure it out how everybody fits in and who can help. Extremely happy for him to be part of it. Great effort. We would not have won that game without him.”
On Tuesday, Bona came up with four blocks in the fourth quarter, including on CJ McCollum’s layup bid in a tie game with 22.5 seconds left. He stuffed McCollum again at the hoop with 11.9 left in OT and the 76ers nursing a three-point lead.
Quentin Grimes put on another show, logging 39 minutes. He tallied 23 points and seven rebounds, but in the fourth, he supplied 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting, plus two blocks, a steal and two rebounds. Against the Magic, it had been Kelly Oubre playing, “one of his best games if not his best game as a 76er,” per Nurse, scoring 25 points on 9-for-16 shooting with 10 rebounds and four assists while defending Paolo Banchero.
Edgecombe has been as advertised, averaging 22.3 points. As vital, he has just eight turnovers in four games despite major ball-handling responsibilities, against 18 assists and six steals.
“He’s been poised,” Maxey said Monday. “… For how he’s playing, he’s playing extremely aggressive. He’s had the ball in his hands a lot. We all trust him. He’s got to keep playing that way. His defense has been great, his patience has been great and he’s scored the ball at a high level.”
Then there’s Maxey, who’s been simply outstanding, warranting the MVP chants raining upon him at regular intervals. He’s averaging 43 minutes per game and 37.5 points per outing. Those numbers, including 25.3 shot attempts per game, aren’t sustainable for a long season. But with Jared McCain and Paul George on the way back from injuries, they don’t have to be.
The mentality that Maxey has brought to those long stints will be just as deadly over shorter spurts.
“I think I’m at the point in my career where I want us to be really good as a team, and I know that starts with me,” he said Monday. “Sometimes now, I can’t be all smiley. … I think it’s just determined. I want us to win. I want us to win so bad. I want to do whatever I can to help my team do that.”
A year ago, the 76ers won 24 games. They had one or two plans to win games, and they all went out the window when first Embiid then Maxey were felled by injuries.
This year, the plan is more nuanced, less dependent on individuals. The framework has allowed a bunch of different guys to contribute. There’s less of a drop-off to the second unit, even with three regulars in George, McCain and Trendon Watford, who debuted Tuesday night, out.
It has the makings of more than just an October mirage.
“Mostly,” Nurse said Monday, “I think those guys are playing so well together out there that it’s making it hard to hone in on stopping any one of them.”
Contact Matthew De George at mdegeorge@delcotimes.com.
