Suns’ atrocious shooting night vs. 76ers lead to 109-103 loss

Despite the heroics of Brooks (28pts) and Booker (20pts) to cut a 19-point difference to four points with under a minute to go, the prowess of Embiid (33pts) and Tyrese Maxey (29pts) overwhelmed the Suns defense late. Embiid’s power and ability to draw contact, mixed with Maxey’s tough shot making was what won the game for Philly. The franchise loses second straight game, 109-103, and fall to 1-3 in last four games.

Suns 2nd half:

Philadelphia came out of the locker rooms on a mission, opening the third quarter with an 8-0 run. The Sixers got their largest lead of the game, with a massive boost from former Suns wing Kelly Oubre scoring five early points to start the frame.

Embiid and Oubre combined for 14 of the 76ers first 17 points of the second half, proving too overwhelm their defenders in Brooks and center Mark Williams. The Suns started to adjust and double the former MVP in the post. The adjustments didn’t matter as Embiid kept getting to his spots, a credit to Philadelphia’s ball movement that had Phoenix scrambling to recover.

A timeout by head coach Jordan Ott stopped the bleeding and soon led to a 16-6 run. The combo of Brooks and the returning Devin Booker scored nine points during that span and cut the deficit to single digits. The half-court defense on Embiid and the 76ers were starting to show its affect. A once 19-point lead for Philly has fallen to 10, 81-71.

The defense to end the third followed suit to begin the fourth, as the two sides would ramping up the physicality. Phoenix had an opportunity early in the frame to make up some ground, but Philadelphia were switching every screen and pressuring the ball handlers well past the three-point line. Once the Suns were able to shed off their man, half of the shot clock was gone.

It wasn’t until midway through the fourth a four-point play by Royce O’Neale awoke the crowd, giving fans hope about a late run. That was until a miraculous three-pointer by Embiid on the top of the key that banked in as the shot clock expired. The Sixers responded every time the Suns scored, leading to a constant stalemate at a 10-point differential.

With three minutes remaining, Phoenix start to get some calls its way with a reversals on a shooting foul called on O’Neale and Philadelphia’s Trendon Watford three-pointer waved off. The deficit was eight points, the lowest its been in the fourth quarter, but Embiid would once again respond with a twisting 16-footer.

The Suns would keep fighting, a Booker fade on the left side and a three-point play by Brooks cut the 76ers lead to six with 64 seconds remaining. Two free throws by Booker made it a four-point game, the closest lead since the first quarter.

The Suns had less than a second left on the shot clock before getting the ball back from the Sixers with 17 seconds to make it a one-possession game. Maxey was desperate and tried to sling up a three-pointer, which Booker reached out on and was called for the foul. Three free throws was awarded, and essentially the victory for Philadelphia. Phoenix falls just short at home 109-103.