The Joel Embiid-James Harden pairing resumes against the Magic

Losing two straight at home to one of the worst teams in the East would be bad.

Two days after their seven-game losing streak, the 76ers responded by defeating the Magic (105-94) thanks to a tougher defense against Paolo Banchero and his gang.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

– Win without flashing. Considering the first quarter, we initially thought that a big “explosion” was in the works. Joel Embiid and his team went on a 17-0 run over the final four minutes to really run away from the score (37-23). The second quarter was less spectacular as they scored just five points over the next six minutes… So much so that the Magic had every chance at halftime (56-53). Even at the beginning of the last quarter (82-78). But Philadelphia finished the game better and took advantage of the general awkwardness of the faceoff to limit the Magic to 16 points to finish. ” I didn’t think we played well. But we played well enough to win. We take it Doc Rivers commented.

– Private Address Magic. Paolo Banchero, who was cheerful during the previous ride, had difficulty getting into the rhythm this time. Franz Wagner (remote 1/7), Wendell Carter Jr. (0/5) or Gary Harris (3/8) were not the only ones who struggled to sanction all away, despite a great start to the game. The result is a very dismal 6/39 (16%) behind the arc, a near-crippling season-worst performance in the NBA today.

– No craziness on the 76ers side. Philadelphia significantly revived the transfer market last season with a trade around James Harden and Ben Simmons. This season should be quieter, even with a week before the famous “trade deadline” Daryl Morey could be tempted to touch his bench. “ This team is better, better equipped for the playoffs. I believe we are strong. We are not that young. (But) We have few flaws, all teams have flaws “Doc Rivers commented without wanting to expand on the potential fixes that could be made in the coming days.

TOPS/FLOPS

✅ James Harden – Joel Embiid. Serious game for both men. First, it varied between the distribution and several rows in isolation, being clean in terms of shooting. Still more than his ball handling for the loss of seven, the latter spoke of his patience as he was often caught by two. For example, he had only one touchdown in the final quarter.

✅ Markelle Fultz. The point guard was one of the few Magic players to be effective in the shootout two days ago, but after a lackluster double-double. He only scored near the circle.

⛔ Tyrese Maxey. A second very average outing for a substitute who struggled to get a shot.

⛔ Paolo Banchero. A very complex evening at the address level for a rookie whose shooting has been inconsistent in recent weeks (13 points on 5/18 shooting).

NEXT

76ers (33-17) : Visit San Antonio on Friday.

Magic (20-32) : trip to Minnesota on Friday.