Philadelphia 76ers 108-98 Golden State Warriors: 5 Hits and Flops as the Sixers recover after blowing a 24-point lead
![Ben Simmons finishes a slam for the Sixers [Image: NBA.com]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/03/4ac20-16165642642285-800.jpg?w=500)
The Philadelphia 76ers rediscovered their defensive steel late in the game to record a road victory against the Golden State Warriors. It was almost a tale of two halves for Doc Rivers' men who blew a 24-point lead before putting the clamps back on in the fourth quarter for a 108-98 win.
Both Joel Embiid and Stephen Curry were out for this game, but it was the Philadelphia 76ers who looked set to run away with the game early as they led 35-11 in the first quarter. The Golden State Warriors' second unit then prompted a comeback and the starters finished it in the third quarter to reclaim the lead.
Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris and Tony Bradley came to the fore for the Sixers late in the matchup as the Warriors struggled for momentum. Steve Kerr's unit committed a whopping seven turnovers in the fourth quarter and gifted the game back to the visitors.
Several individual performances had a final bearing on the result, and on that note, let's look at the hits and flops from the Philadelphia 76ers' win over the Golden State Warriors.
Hit: Tobias Harris (Philadelphia 76ers)
Tobias Harris has taken up the mantle for the Philadelphia 76ers in Joel Embiid's absence. The power forward was instrumental in both the early and final stages of the game as he finished with a game-high 25 points and 13 rebounds.
Harris found it too easy to attack the paint and pulled up from mid-range frequently against the Golden State Warriors. He also kept James Wiseman on his toes and was able to finish at the rim a few times as well.
Harris' chemistry with teammate Tony Bradley was impressive. He was aggressive while going for rebounds while Bradley boxed out other bigs. Harris also created several easy looks under the basket for the latter.
Flop: Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors)
Aside from his flurry of buckets at the start of the third quarter, Andrew Wiggins was extremely mediocre for the Golden State Warriors. Wiggins was a complete liability defensively and his general feel for the game was absent.
With Stephen Curry sidelined due to injury, Andrew Wiggins had the license to take his shots but he settled for difficult looks far too often. Even late in the fourth quarter, Wiggins tried to play hero ball instead of trying to move the ball around a bit.
Andrew Wiggins finished with just 14 points on 6-of-15 shooting against the Philadelphia 76ers. The rest of his box score was threadbare and he finished with a paltry -29 plus-minus rating.
Hit: Tony Bradley (Philadelphia 76ers)
Even though Ben Simmons had a good 22-point outing, Tony Bradley took the cake as the Philadelphia 76ers' best two-way player tonight. His physical dominance allowed the Sixers to score 58 points in the paint as compared to the Golden State Warriors' 48.
Bradley played a career-high 32 minutes against the Warriors. He bullied James Wiseman off the court who was simply a step behind Philly's backup center on all occasions tonight.
Bradley recorded a clutch offensive rebound to bring up his double-double and scored the dagger for the Philadelphia 76ers. He finished with 11 boards, two steals, two blocks and 18 points on 8-of-8 shooting from the field.
Flop: Matisse Thybulle (Philadelphia 76ers)
![Matisse Thybulle tries to close out Jordan Poole [Image: NBA.com]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/03/fda7c-16165641503225-800.jpg)
Sophomore guard Matisse Thybulle is primarily known for his defensive ability and generally chips in with a few timely buckets for the Philadelphia 76ers. He was unable to do both against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.
Thybulle was part of Philly's second-unit that initially allowed the Warriors to get back into the game. He wasn't too helpful during the Golden State Warriors' third-quarter barrage either. He scored zero points in his 17 minutes and finished with a team-worst plus-minus rating of -17.
Hit: Kelly Oubre Jr. (Golden State Warriors)
Kelly Oubre Jr. was the only Golden State Warriors starter who finished with a positive plus-minus rating against the Philadelphia 76ers. Oubre was also slow to start the game but he got it together in the second quarter as he defended well and made a couple of field goals.
It was in the third quarter that Oubre completely took off and spearheaded the Golden State Warriors' fightback. He scored 13 points during this period on 80% shooting and crashed the glass as well.
The Philadelphia 76ers eventually decided to give him more attention in the final 12 minutes and Oubre fizzled out as a result. He finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds.