10 Roob Stats from Sixers’ Game 4 that’ll make you sick originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
They made four baskets in the fourth quarter. And just one of them was from a starter. And that was Furkan Korkmaz.
That pretty much says it all.
These stats are not pretty. And they are not pleasant. And they are not fun. But they are ridiculous and preposterous and all that other stuff we love about stats.
So make sure you’re sitting down and here are 10 Sixers Roob stats off an agonizing 103-100 loss to the Hawks Monday night in their Eastern Conference semifinal series at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
SECOND-HALF COLLAPSE: Remember back when the 76ers were up 17 and we were all happy? Remember when they were up 13 at halftime? This was only the second time in franchise history the 76ers lost a postseason game that they led by at least 13 points at halftime. The only other time it happened was April 21, 2001, when they led the Pacers 52-36 at halftime in Philly before losing 79-78. Overall, the 76ers were 37-1 all-time when leading by 13 or more at halftime before Monday night.
FOURTH-QUARTER NIGHTMARE: The Sixers made just four baskets in the fourth quarter, shooting 4-for-16 from the field. The five starters combined to shoot 1-for-10 in the fourth quarter, with Joel Embiid going 0-for-5, Tobias Harris 0-for-2, Seth Curry 0-for-1 and Furkan Korkmaz 1-for-2 with a 3. For the second time in the series, Ben Simmons didn’t attempt a fourth quarter field goal.
SCREECHING TO A THUD: This was only the second time in franchise history and the first time in more than 30 years than the 76ers scored at least 62 points in a postseason first half but 38 or fewer in the second half. In 1990, they led the Bulls 63-62 at halftime, then scored just 36 second-half points and lost 117-99. Before Monday, they were 22-1 in the playoffs since 1978 when scoring 63 1st-half points.
SECOND-HALF DOLDRUMS: The 76ers scored just 38 second-half points, their fewest in their last 37 playoff games. Last time they scored fewer was a 101-85 loss to the Celtics at TD Garden in Boston in 2012, when they were outscored 54-35 in the second half.
HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? The Hawks shot just 36.6 percent from the field on 37-for-101 and became just the third team in the last 60 years to beat the 76ers in a playoff game despite shooting worse than 37 percent from the field. It also happened in 2003, when the Pistons shot 34.2 percent and beat the 76ers 93-89 in overtime. The Hawks’ 101 field goal attempts are the most ever in a playoff game against the 76ers. The previous high was 98 by the Bucks in a 107-104 win over the 76ers at the MECCA in Milwaukee in 1987. The Hawks were 12-for-40 from 3. That’s the 4th-most 3’s ever attempted against the 76ers in a playoff game (but the second-most in this series).
BEN’S FOUL SHOOTING = UGH: Ben did 11 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and two blocked shots, but we do have to mention his foul shooting. Simmons went 1-for-5 from the line Monday night, which left him 18-for-52 this postseason. That’s 34.6 percent, the second-lowest shooting percentage in a single postseason in NBA history [minimum 50 attempts]. Ben Wallace of the Pistons shot 27.3 percent in 2006. Simmons’ career postseason free throw percentage is down to 54.3 percent (82-for-151). That’s 10th-worst in NBA history among the 612 players who’ve attempted at least 100 career postseason free throws. Simmons has now had three games this postseason where he’s shot at least five foul shots and made 30 percent or worse. Only three players in NBA history have had more such games in a single postseason (Shaq, Wilt and Dwight Howard).
ROUGH NIGHT FOR JOEL: Embiid shot just 4-for-20 for 20 percent. That ties the 5th-worst shooting performance in 76ers postseason history by a player attempting at least 20 shots. Allen Iverson had games of 5-for-26 (19.2 percent) and 5-for-27 (18.5 percent) in 2001, Julius Erving had a 5-for-27 game game (19.0 percent) in 1985 (19.0 percent) and Hal Greer was 3-for-23 (13.0 percent) in a game in 1969.
POUNDING THE BOARDS: Embiid did pile up 21 rebounds, which ties the 2nd-most by a 76er in a playoff game in the last 35 years. Dikembe Mutombu had a 22-rebound game against the Pacers in 2001. Charles Barkley had 21-rebound games in 1986 and 1990 and a 22-rebound game in 1986. Wilt Chamberlain had 39 games with at least 20 rebounds during his four seasons with the 76ers.
DWIGHT IS DIFFERENT: Dwight Howard squeezed 10 rebounds and seven points into a 12-minute run. He’s the first player in 21 years with 10 rebounds in 12 or fewer minutes in a playoff game – John Salley of the Lakers did it against the Suns in 2000 – and only the fourth player in the last 47 years (also John Gianelli in 1974, Buck Williams in 1990 and Sidney Green in 1993). Of that group, only Williams and Salley also had seven points.
STEADY TOBIAS: Tobias Harris shot 53 percent (8-for-15) for 20 points, his seventh game this postseason with at least 20 points and better than 50 percent from the field. He’s the first 76er with seven such games in any postseason since Charles Barkley had seven in 1986. It’s also more than any other player in the NBA this postseason.
PROTECTING THE BALL: The Hawks committed just four turnovers, matching the fewest ever against the 76ers in a playoff game. In 2002, the Celtics committed four in a 120-87 win. Which helps explain why the 76ers had only two steals, matching their fewest in postseason history.
WE JUST WANTED TO MENTION JEFF MALONE: Trae Young (8-for-26) and Bogan Bogdanovic (9-for-24) became the first teammates to each take at least 24 shots in a playoff game against the 76ers since 1986, when Jeff Malone (12-for-24) and Cliff Robinson (15-for-27) did it in the Bullets’ 116-111 win over the 76ers. Last time two teammates took that many shots and neither shot 40 percent. That was in 1966, when John Havlicek shot 11-for-29 (38 percent) and Sam Jones 11-for-28 (39 percent) in a game the Celtics nonetheless won 120-112 at the Civic Center.