MCW Gets His Revenge as Bucks Top Sixers

By Sean Kennedy (@PhillyFastBreak)

Milwaukee 107, Philadelphia 97 – Box Score

As an NBA GM, I would imagine when you trade away a young player, games like Monday night are the kind to keep you up at night in a cold sweat second-guessing your decision. In his first visit back to Philadelphia since being sent to Milwaukee at the February trade deadline, Michael Carter-Williams said all the right things, but sent a message through his play that he thinks Sam Hinkie and ‘The Process’ made a terrible mistake.

Carter-Williams finished with a game-high 30 points on 11-17 shooting, 5 rebounds, 5 assists (just 2 turnovers), and 3 steals. He could have easily surpassed his career-high of 33 points if not for sitting out the final 8 and a half minutes of the game with the Bucks holding a comfortable double-digit lead. Whatever they’ve said to get through to MCW in Milwaukee, the message has been received loud and clear.

He’s alleviated his field goal percentage difficulties by gravitating his game to the inside; nearly all of Carter-Williams’ shot attempts came from in the paint. It certainly didn’t hurt that Nerlens Noel’s absence left the Sixers without any real rim protection (although Robert Covington certainly tried with 4 blocks), but MCW’s points weren’t generally of the driving variety where a help-side defender would have been of much use. Time and time again, Carter-Williams posted up Ish Smith, with the much smaller Smith unable to do anything to stop him.

MCW scored 14 points in the first quarter to help the Bucks hang around while Philly was going through a hot offensive stretch. He really turned things on coming out of the halftime locker room though, dropping 15 points in the third quarter to carry the Bucks to their first lead of the game. Milwaukee was also aided defensively by John Henson, who recorded 6 blocks on the game (5 in the second half) in just 21 minutes of action off the bench. The Sixers went the first 6 and a half minutes of the third quarter without a field goal to let the Bucks take control, followed by an 18-3 Milwaukee run to begin the fourth quarter and put the game away.

Early on, the Sixers looked poised to break the then-8 game losing streak behind the offense of Robert Covington and Hollis Thompson. Getting the start Monday night, Thompson scored 15 of his 19 points in the first half before cooling off after the break. Covington was the centerpiece of the Sixers attack throughout the evening though, for better and for worse.

Big Shot Bob was clearly focused on doing more than spotting up to hoist shots from behind the arc. The results early were good as Covington scored 18 of his team-high 25 points before the half, driving to the hoop (even against difficult defender Giannis Antetokounmpo), posting up, and getting to the free throw line (12-13 on the game). It looked like we were witnessing his evolution from great shooter to great scorer.

However, he clearly hasn’t refined those areas of his game as the flip side was the 10 turnovers he committed on the night, easily eclipsing his previous low-mark of 6 giveaways. As a team, the Sixers had a whopping 30 turnovers, leading to a staggering points off turnovers differential of 47-16 in favor of Milwaukee. The Sixers handed the game to Milwaukee as much as Michael Carter-Williams and the rest of the Bucks went out and took it.

The Sixers have now lost 9 straight and with some lottery implications still in play, I’m sure the majority of fans hope that dry spell reaches 10 in Wednesday’s season finale against the Heat.

Lottery Implications

• Laughably, the Knicks have decided this is the perfect time to have a 2-game winning streak. Not only have they ceded the bottom spot to Minnesota, but if New York decided to somehow win their season finale against the Pistons, and the Sixers lose to the Heat Wednesday, the two teams would split the lottery odds between the 2 & 3 spots. Rest everyone, Stan Van Gundy!
• Despite the Heat’s late-season swoon, the Sixers are still in play for Miami’s pick, which is top-10 protected. Brooklyn’s loss combined with Miami’s win last night left a sliver of hope for the Sixers in that area. Philly needs Indiana to lose its final two, Brooklyn to lose its last game, and the Heat to beat the Sixers, in which the Heat would make the playoffs (and Philly would get their pick just outside the lottery). Or, if Brooklyn just loses its last game and Miami beats the Sixers, it would come down to a coin flip as to whether the Heat are in the 10th or 11th spot. There is something deliciously ironic about all Sam Hinkie’s machinations seemingly coming down to a coin flip.