Sixers - Heat Game Five: What The Hell Was That

 > The national media seems to want to make this all about Joel Embiid pouting his way through a low energy road game because he's not going to be the MVP, and the omniscience this shows is kind of amazing. If true, it also shows that the team could not give a rat's ass for its coach, who could not sense this kind of thing coming from a mile away, and, I don't know, benched him and all of the starters or done anything other than what he did, which was watch his team get boat-raced in a decisive game. This team is going to get two days of direct abuse from the faithful and the media, and they deserve all of it.

> It seems a lot more likely that a guy with a busted face, who got his face smashed again in the second quarter, who has a bum thumb and no teammates that seemed able to get him the ball against press coverage, just checked out early. But not as early as his teammates.

> If I was Doc Rivers, I would have pulled all of the starters early. Like, in the first quarter. If you're going to lose, you might as well get a rest day out of it, and make a point that you can show someone up on your way out of town.

> I have no idea why Matisse Thybulle is in the NBA anymore. He does nothing to warrant wearing a uniform, let alone getting playing time.

> There was no point in this game where the road team looked they wanted to be there. So, well, analyzing it and giving more effort than the guys getting paid seems, well, dumb. And when this team doesn't want to play... they really don't make it a secret.

> For Miami, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo and, shh, they are a lot better when Kyle Lowry isn't on the floor. 

> So much for the idea that James Harden was his old self. Not tonight, not even a little.

> Worst game I can remember Tyrese Maxey playing. And that includes his rookie year, when he couldn't shoot.

> When your best player is Paul Reed, you aren't winning basketball games. Unless you are in the G League. But credit to the only guy in the laundry who seems to mind losing.

> I posted this with the team down 29 in the fourth, because, well, why the hell not. Moving on.

Next game is Thursday in Philadelphia, and if this is the level of effort they'll show on the road, feel free to end the season early, guys. Pack Rivers' bag for him.