Sixers discuss adjustments to be made on defense before Game 6 vs. Heat
CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers return home from South Florida facing elimination. After a 120-85 Game 5 drubbing at the hands of the Miami Heat on Tuesday, they are staring down elimination on Thursday in Game 6.
The Heat shot 53.6% from the floor and 13-for-33 from deep as their role players stepped up at home. Tyler Herro had 10 off the bench. Max Strus had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Victor Oladipo and Gabe Vincent had strong games as well.
As Philadelphia heads into Game 6, it knows some big defensive adjustments need to be made.
“We would love us to run our defense the right way first,” said coach Doc Rivers on Wednesday. “That always helps in coaching like you’re watching the tape, and it’s like ‘Man, if we had executed this, maybe we would have guarded it better.’ It’s hard to make a change when you’re not doing the original way right first. So we have to fix that first and then we’ll be ready for the second part.”
The Heat have not proved they can knock down shots on the road. Miami shot 14-for-65 from deep in Games 3 and 4, and it’s not guaranteed that Herro and Strus are going to have big games — as they have at home during this series.
“It’s all been said that role players play better at home,” Rivers added. “Last night (Tuesday), the way that game was played, I don’t think it wouldn’t matter where we played. The shots they had last night were wide-open. Their shots, they’re comfortable and there was just no physicality from us. Now, will they miss more in Philadelphia? Let’s hope so, but let’s make them miss is what I would say.”
The Heat were clearly the more forceful group. They played with much more physicality and they were tough all night long. Philadelphia just took it and they will have to respond much better on Thursday.
“That was just too many wide-open shots and not only just 3s, I thought their 2s were wide open,” Rivers continued. “There was not a lot of people in front of people last night. Herro blew by us the entire night. Strus blew by us. Vincent blew by us. Jimmy Butler was completely comfortable the entire game, and that’s all on us.”
Butler is the big one. While Herro, Strus and the others are going to be inconsistent at times, Philadelphia has to focus on Butler and slow him.
During the regular season, Butler averaged two 3-point attempts per game and made 23.3% of them. In the playoffs, he’s shooting 36.8% on 4.2 attempts from deep. Maybe that’s throwing the Sixers off.
“I don’t know if I’m surprised,” Rivers finished. “The numbers say he’s starting to make them. He’s up to 40% I think or something like that. You would take those 3s, too, if no one was gonna guard you. He took two that were just complete dare shots, you know? That’s not how we defend.”
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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