Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has advised point guard James Harden to keep shooting, despite a second consecutive poor performance in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics. After tying his career-high with 45 points in Philadelphia’s Game 1 victory, Harden went 2-for-14 in Game 2 and 3-for-14 in Game 3. Embiid has urged Harden to stay aggressive and not let his poor shooting affect his confidence, adding that it’s about finding other ways to impact the game.
Philadelphia Struggles with 50-50 Balls and Offensive Rebounds
The Philadelphia 76ers lost their second straight game to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals, with a final score of 114-102. The 76ers struggled with 50-50 balls and offensive rebounds, and failed to take advantage of driving lanes. Harden was able to make forays into the paint but often looked indecisive and passed out of them, leading to turnovers. The Celtics had seven blocked shots, including three by Robert Williams III, and Embiid said that challenging the length of the Celtics repeatedly at the rim wasn’t necessarily the best way to approach the game. The 76ers shot just 15-for-41 (36.6%) on two-point shots on the night, and as a team, they need to find ways to execute better if they want to stay alive in the series.
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