WHAT. A. GAME.

There is a good chance that you have a new heart condition after watching that game. The Sixers came out aggressive and attacked Boston on both ends of the floor. They got Boston into early foul trouble and had Jayson Tatum struggling from the floor. Meanwhile Joel Embiid and James Harden were DIALED IN.

Fresh off of his MVP award presentation, Embiid looked the part. Hitting turn around jumpers, fade away shots, and making his way to the line with unguardable moves. Harden looked like game 1 Harden. Hitting threes, driving the lane, and facilitating. It was fun to watch.

At one point the Sixers were up by 16 on the Celtics and looked like they had their proverbial foot on the Celtics throat. But a 9 point lead in the 4th quarter went away in shocking fashion. The Sixers went cold at a bad time and the Celtics took advantage of it. It found the team down 5 with about 2 minutes to go. PJ Tucker turned into “ThreeJay Tucker” after hitting a put back, and 1. A James Harden floater tied it to send it to overtime. And in OT “the beard” took over.

It was a heat palpitating victory but it was also one that had faults. This isnt to be negative, just stuff that the Sixers NEED to clean up for game 5. The Sixers now find themselves in a 3 games series with Boston holding home court advantage. But in order to FINALLY get out of the second round, here are 6 things that just CANT happen on Tuesday night. (A game that can be heard right here on 97.5 the Fanatic!)

• Maxey, Melton and Harris Cant Struggle

  Not all three.

  Maxey, Melton and Harris went a combined 9 for 29 from the field. Maxey was aggressive but at times it was a detriment. Driving the lane against 2 defenders and getting it rejected. Melton was non-existent on offense. Defensively he was incredible but he cant go 0-2 and content with not shooting. And Tobias Harris….I dont know how many times I need to beg that man to be aggressive. I need a combined 25 points, assists, and rebounds. He isnt reaching 20. This isnt even about his paycheck, this is about a talented player being engaged and aggressive.

• Jalen McDaniels Cant NOT Play

  Jalen McDaniels has been a key rotational player since coming over at the deadline. He adds in 10-13 minutes a game and can add some offense. But on Sunday he was a DNP. Could Jalen McDaniels have kept a Jayson Tatum or a Jaylen Brown in check? Maybe. Certainly more so than Georges Niang.

• Sixers Cant Let The Celtics Off The Hook

  The Sixers were able to get the Celtics in early foul trouble. They then let them off the hook. The Celtics had 6 fouls after the first quarter and just 1 in the second. They never had anyone in green in foul trouble. When they get a Celtic in foul trouble they need to attack.

• Sixers Cant Blow A Huge Lead

  “Thanks captain obvious.” And yes, it is obvious. But its also true. The Sixers cant go up by a big number and then take their foot off the gas. They need to extend the lead and have the second unit in the game for the last 4-5 minutes.

• Sixers Cant Go Cold And Find Themselves In A Hole

  I dont know if the Sixers are good enough to dig themselves out of a big hole because the team goes on a cold stretch. Runs will happen, and they happen in every game. But a fear I have is the Sixers start off game 5 like the Celtics started off game 4. Cold as hell and cant hit a shot.

• Sixers Cant Give The Celtics Second Chance Oppertunities

  The Sixers gave Boston too many second chance opportunities. Jaylen Brown missing 2 free throws and then the Boston grabbing the offensive board and capitalizing on it was back breaking. The numbers are pretty even with Boston grabbing 13 and the Sixers grabbing 12. But it seems like there are too many times when the Celtics are able to grab easy boards because the Sixers were just lackadaisical.

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