<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/spurs-news-victor-wembanyama-holding-standards-loss-award');   ga('set', 'title', 'Victor Wembanyama hits Spurs for not ‘holding standards’ in loss after award');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Spurs-news-Victor-Wembanyama-hits-SA-for-not-holding-standards-in-loss-after-first-POW-award.jpg"></figure><h1>Victor Wembanyama hits Spurs for not ‘holding standards’ in loss after award</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-24T10:24:26-08:00">December 24th, 10:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-24T10:24:26-08:00">December 24th, 10:24am</time><address><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@LedesmaHector">Hector Ledesma</a>Hector Ledesma has been covering the Spurs in San Antonio since 2005, but he has been following them for even longer than that. An award-winning journalist born and raised in San Antonio, Hector has worked across all types of television and radio platforms. His work extends online and through social media (@HectorLedesmaTV) where he continues that work with ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Following his first NBA Player of the Week honor, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-news-victor-wembanyama-brutally-honest-motivation">Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs suffered a tough loss</a> to the Philadelphia 76ers, 111-106. The Silver and Black held a one point lead and had the ball with a minute left in the game when they threw it away near mid court. It was an offensive error that not only led to a Tyrese Maxey go-ahead dunk on the other end, but came in a contest that saw San Antonio <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P2cSIFnDbM" rel="noopener">make plenty of mistakes</a> on the other end.</p><p>“We didn’t hold to our standards defensively,” Wemby said.</p><p>The Spurs leading scorer again led his team in that department Monday night with 26 points. His eight blocks were two more than what all other players in the game came up with, combined.</p><p>It was an individual performance that fit right in with the 7-foot-5 center’s most recent outings.</p><h2><b>Victor Wembanyama’s Player of the Week numbers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Philadelphia-76ers-forward-Guerschon-Yabusele-28-dunks-the-ball-in-front-of-San-Antonio-Spurs-center-Victor-Wembanyama-1.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In two starts during the week, Wemby helped lead the Spurs to a 2-0 record with wins against the Atlanta Hawks and Portland Trail Blazers. He averaged 36.0 points, 7 blocks, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting .525 (21-40) from the field, .478 (11-23) from beyond the arc and .833 (20-24) from the free-throw line.</p><p>Following the loss in Philadelphia, the 20-year-old Wembanyama alluded to playing well every time out.</p><p>“It’s a whole adventure that people can see on TV. That’s completely on us as professional athletes to take care of that.”</p><p>In earning the Western Conference POW award, the French phenom certainly took care of business.</p><p>On Thursday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/victor-wembanyama-imposed-his-will-in-spurs-overtime-win-vs-hawks">Dec. 19 vs. Atlanta, Wembanyama posted 42 points</a> (13-24 FG, 7-15 3FG, 9-12 FT), six rebounds, six assists, four blocks and two steals, including eight points in overtime, to help San Antonio to a 133-126 overtime win. With his seven three-pointers and four blocks, Wembanyama became the second player in NBA history to put up those numbers in game, joining former Spur Danny Green.</p><p>Two nights later, Wemby finished with 30 points (8-16 FG, 4-8 3FG, 11-12 FT), 10 blocks, seven rebounds and three assists in a 114-94 win vs. Portland. He became just the sixth player in NBA history to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-news-victor-wembanyama-brutally-honest-motivation">record a game with 30+ points and 10+ blocks</a>. In the same game he knocked down his 200th career three-pointer, becoming the 15th fastest player in NBA history to reach the mark.</p><p>Monday night in Philadelphia he added nine rebounds and four assists to his 26 points and eight blocks – fully realizing that those numbers came in a loss.</p><p>“Every day there’s a lot of self awareness that’s needed because the Spurs are helping me as much as they can and they’re guiding me the best way they can, but at the end of the day, I’m on the court and I make the right choices and I make the wrong choices.”</p><p>For the season, the top overall pick in the 2023 draft is averaging 24.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.6 minutes per game. He currently leads the NBA in blocked shots at four per contest.</p><p>Though he played well again in Philly, including a three-pointer with 3;08 remaining to put the Spurs up by a point, the young superstar already understands the value of any awards and numbers are only as good as the outcome.</p><p>“A lot of self awareness is needed, a lot of humility (is needed) to be able to re-watch those moments in games where either you struggled or you played bad. It’s as simple as that.”</p><p>The Spurs are back in action <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-vs-knicks-prediction-odds-pick-for-nba-christmas-2024">against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden</a> on Christmas Day.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Victor Wembanyama hits Spurs for not ‘holding standards’ in loss after award

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/76ers-vs-celtics-prop-predictions-for-nba-christmas-2024');   ga('set', 'title', '76ers vs. Celtics Prop Predictions for NBA Christmas 2024');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/76ers-vs.-Celtics-Prop-Predictions-for-NBA-Christmas-2024.jpg"></figure><h1>76ers vs. Celtics Prop Predictions for NBA Christmas 2024</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-24T10:22:10-08:00">December 24th, 10:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-24T10:22:10-08:00">December 24th, 10:22am</time><address><a>Garrett Kerman</a>Garrett Kerman also goes by the name of The Fight Analyst. He covers all combat sports, from MMA, to boxing, to even bare-knuckle. He is also very well-versed in all American sports when it comes to news and betting analysis. Whether you want betting advice or some breaking news, Garrett is your guy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The NBA season continues, and we have a tilt between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day. It’s time to continue our NBA odds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba" rel="noopener">series</a> with 76ers-Celtics prop predictions.</p><p>The Christmas Day clash between the <b>Philadelphia 76ers</b> and <b>Boston Celtics</b> promises to be a thrilling Atlantic Division showdown. The Celtics, boasting a 22-7 record, led by Jayson Tatum’s impressive 28.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game, Boston looks to bounce back from a recent loss to Orlando. The 76ers (10-17) aim to continue their recent surge, having won 7 of their last 10 games. All eyes will be on Joel Embiid, who’s expected to dominate after limited playing time recently. With both teams ranking in the top 10 defensively, expect a low-scoring affair as these rivals battle for Eastern Conference supremacy.</p><p><b><i>Here are the 76ers-Celtics <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba" rel="noopener">NBA odds</a>, courtesy of FanDuel. </i></b></p><h2><b>NBA Odds: 76ers-Celtics Prop Odds</b></h2><p><b>Joel Embiid Over 39.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-111)</b></p><p><b>Tyrese Maxey 4+ Made Threes (+135)</b></p><p><b>Derrick White to Score 15+ Points (+100)</b></p><h2><b>Why Joel Embiid Will Have Over 39.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists</b></h2><p>Joel Embiid is poised to dominate the Christmas Day matchup against the Boston Celtics, making the over 39.5 points + rebounds + assists prop an enticing bet. The 76ers’ superstar center has been on a tear this season when he played a full game despite only averaging 20.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game in limited time. His recent performances have been particularly impressive, with a 34-point, 5-rebound, 9-assist performance against the Hornets just a week ago. Embiid’s ability to impact the game in multiple facets is evident this season.</p><p>The Christmas Day spotlight provides the perfect stage for Embiid to showcase his elite skillset. In high-stakes games, he tends to elevate his performance, as demonstrated by his playoff averages of 24.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. The Celtics’ defense, while formidable, has struggled at times to contain dominant big men. With Embiid’s versatility in scoring from various spots on the floor and his improved playmaking abilities, he’s likely to find success against Boston’s frontcourt. Given his current form, the significance of the matchup, and his history of strong performances in marquee games, expect Joel Embiid to surpass the 39.5 points + rebounds + assists threshold, delivering a memorable Christmas Day performance for 76ers fans.</p><h2><b>Why Tyrese Maxey Will Have 4+ Made Threes</b></h2><p>Tyrese Maxey is primed to light up the scoreboard from beyond the arc in the Christmas Day matchup against the Boston Celtics, making the over 4+ made threes a compelling bet. The young 76ers star has been on a tear from long range this season, averaging 3.7 three-pointers made per game while shooting an impressive 33.7% from deep. Maxey’s improved accuracy and increased volume from three-point territory have been key factors in his offensive evolution, with a significant portion of his 25.1 points per game coming from beyond the arc. His recent performances further support this trend, as he’s made at least three three-pointers in several games, including a 6-for-12 performance against Charlotte just a week ago.</p><p>Tyrese Maxey is set to perform on Christmas Day. Against elite competition, Maxey elevates his game, as evidenced by his 45-point outburst against Indiana earlier this season, where he knocked down 5 three-pointers. The Celtics’ defense, while formidable, has struggled at times to contain elite perimeter scorers. With the attention likely focused on limiting Joel Embiid’s interior dominance, Maxey should find ample opportunities to launch from deep. Given his current form, the significance of the matchup, and his increasing role in the 76ers’ offense, expect Tyrese Maxey to connect on at least 4 three-pointers, making this prop an attractive option for the holiday showdown.</p><h2><b>Why Derrick White Will Score 15+ Points</b></h2><p>Derrick White is poised to have a good game in the Christmas Day matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, making the over 15 points a compelling bet. The Celtics guard has been on a tear this season, averaging 17.0 points per game this season. White’s offensive arsenal has expanded significantly, as evidenced by his career-high 196 three-pointers last season, which ranked third on the team. His improved shooting efficiency, coupled with his ability to create opportunities for himself and others, makes him a constant threat on the offensive end.</p><p>In a high-profile matchup against the 76ers on Christmas day, he tends to show up for his team, as demonstrated by his playoff career-high 38 points against the Miami Heat last postseason. White’s versatility in scoring from various spots on the floor, combined with his increased role in the Celtics’ offense, should create ample opportunities against the 76ers’ defense. With his current form, the significance of the matchup, and his history of stepping up in crucial moments, expect Derrick White to surpass the 15-point threshold, delivering a memorable Christmas Day performance for Celtics fans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

76ers vs. Celtics Prop Predictions for NBA Christmas 2024

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/76ers-vs-celtics-prediction-odds-pick-for-nba-christmas-2024');   ga('set', 'title', '76ers vs. Celtics prediction, odds, pick for NBA Christmas 2024');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/76ers-vs.-Celtics-prediction.jpg"></figure><h1>76ers vs. Celtics prediction, odds, pick for NBA Christmas 2024</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-24T09:17:16-08:00">December 24th, 9:17am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-24T09:17:16-08:00">December 24th, 9:17am</time><address><a>Jake Faigus</a>Jake Faigus graduated from the University of Arizona in 2022 and has written for several publications and websites. He has had stops at Catena Media, Playmaker, DraftKings, USA Today, Spike Up, and Spotlight Sports Group. He also writes for Sporting News and works at iHeartMedia in Phoenix when he is not writing for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 76ers visit the Celtics on Christmas Day! The 76ers have struggled to find consistency this year, while the Celtics have been among the best teams in the NBA. This is a great matchup on Christmas Day! It’s time to continue our NBA odds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba" rel="noopener">series</a> with a 76ers-Celtics prediction and pick.</p><p>The 76ers have struggled this season. They are 9-17, and their stars have been injured. Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey have all missed time in some fashion. They should be healthy enough entering this matchup against the Celtics. They are playing better recently and can make a massive statement in this game in Boston against the defending champions on Christmas.</p><p>The Celtics look like one of the best teams in the NBA again this season. They enter this matchup with a 22-6 record. They have so much talent and can attack teams in waves. It starts with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Kristaps Porzingis. The Celtics are again on their way to the top seed in the Eastern Conference. This is a massive game on Christmas Day in the east.</p><p><b><i>Here are the 76ers-Celtics <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba" rel="noopener">NBA odds</a>, courtesy of FanDuel. </i></b></p><h2><b>NBA Odds: 76ers-Celtics Odds</b></h2><p>Philadelphia 76ers: +10 (-112)</p><p>Moneyline: +350</p><p>Boston Celtics: -10 (-108)</p><p>Moneyline: -450</p><p>Over: 222 (-110)</p><p>Under: 222 (-110)</p><h2><b>How To Watch 76ers vs. Celtics</b></h2><p>Time: 5:00 pm ET/2:00 pm PT</p><p>TV: ABC/ESPN/ESPN+</p><p><i><b>*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">(Get Access | Save $30)</a>*</b></i></p><h2><b>Why the 76ers Could Cover the Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The 76ers’ offense has struggled this year and fallen off a cliff from last year. They are 30th in scoring at 105.7 points per game, 25th in field goal percentage at 44.3% from the field, and 27th in three-point shooting at 32.9% from behind the arc. Five players on the 76ers average over double digits in scoring, with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-tyrese-maxey-advice-to-self-40-point-outburst-hornets">Tyrese Maxey</a> leading at 25.1 points per game. Then, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-paul-george-resilient-praise-tyrese-maxey">Paul George</a> also leads the way in assists at 5.1 per game, but Maxey is just behind at five per game. They should have their stars available in this game against Boston. This offense should look much better with Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey available in this game. It is difficult because the Celtics are one of the best defenses in the NBA, but these three are worth points. It’s just a matter of how many points this Philadelphia team can score, especially on the road in Boston.</p><p>The 76ers’ defense has played much better recently, but they are still having an inconsistent season as a unit. They are 10th in points allowed at 110.6 points per game, 27th in field goal defense at 47.9%, and 13th in three-point defense allowed at 35.8% from behind the arc. Down low, Andre Drummond leads the team in rebounds with 8.3 per game. Next, Joel Embiid leads the team in blocks at 1.1 per game. Finally, six 76ers average at least one steal per game, with Tyrese Maxey leading at two. The 76ers are playing better recently and have been healthier. This defense has the ability to play well with its playmakers, but they are going up against a juggernaut of an offense in the Celtics. The 76ers should compete if they have most of the roster, but defending them will put a lot of pressure on them as a team on this side of the court.</p><h2><b>Why the Celtics Could Cover the Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The Celtics have been very good on offense this year. They are fourth in scoring at 119.6 points per game, 19th in field goal percentage at 45.7%, and 15th in three-point percentage at 36.6%. Six different Celtics are averaging over double digits, with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-jayson-tatum-message-magic-johnson-lakers-passing-him">Jayson Tatum</a> leading with 28.8 points per game. He also leads in assists at 5.7 per game. Tatum makes this team go, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-jaylen-brown-refs-postgame-rant-bulls-game">Jaylen Brown</a> helps make up a big, dynamic duo for the Celtics because he averages 23.4 points per game. As great as Tatum and Brown have been, this offense also relies on and spreads the ball to Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White, and Payton Prichard. They have too much on offense for the 76ers to completely slow down, especially at home. The 76ers should have some success on defense, but because of the Celtics’ depth, they could start a massive avalanche on offense in this game.</p><p>The Celtics’ defense has been great this year. They are seventh in scoring defense at 109.6 points per game, ninth in field goal percentage defense at 45.7%, and eighth in three-point defense at 35%. Down low, Jayson Tatum leads the team in rebounding at 9.3 per game. Then, five players average at least one block per game, with Porzingis leading the team at 1.6. Finally, four Celtics average at least one steal per game, with Tatum and Brown tied for the team lead at 1.2. This Celtics defense has a chance to completely overwhelm the 76ers on offense. The 76ers should be relatively healthy against the Celtics, but their offense has struggled all year, and this is an awful matchup for them on the road against the Celtics.</p><h2><b>Final 76ers-Celtics Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>The 76ers should be healthier entering this game against the Celtics, but it still feels too much. The Celtics are the best team in the East and will have the best player in this game, Jayson Tatum. The 76ers have been playing better recently, but this is too challenging for them at Christmas. The 76ers keep it close at first, but the Celtics win and cover at home against the 76ers.</p><p><b>Final 76ers-Celtics Prediction &amp; Pick: Boston Celtics -10 (-108)</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

76ers vs. Celtics prediction, odds, pick for NBA Christmas 2024

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/76ers-news-how-tyrese-maxey-uptick-rebounds-steals-benefits-scoring');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Tyrese Maxey’s uptick in rebounds, steals benefits his scoring');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/How-Tyrese-Maxeys-uptick-in-rebounds-steals-benefits-his-scoring.jpg"></figure><h1>How Tyrese Maxey’s uptick in rebounds, steals benefits his scoring</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-24T09:13:20-08:00">December 24th, 9:13am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-24T09:13:20-08:00">December 24th, 9:13am</time><address><a>Sam DiGiovanni</a>Sam DiGiovanni started at ClutchPoints as an associate editor in 2021 and became the site's Philadelphia 76ers beat reporter ahead of the 2022-23 season. He graduated from Marist College in May of 2022 and has written for TheKnicksWall.com and CenterFieldMarist.com in the past.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>PHILADELPHIA — Tyrese Maxey is setting new career highs in rebounds and steals per game this season. The Philadelphia 76ers guard has shown his improved statistical output over the past few games, recording his first triple-double and, more recently, approaching one as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-vs-spurs-refs-joel-embiid-victor-wembanyama">Maxey led a wild, 111-106 win over the San Antonio Spurs</a>.</p><p>Maxey averages 3.9 rebounds per game, only a slight uptick from last season, and 2.0 steals per game, a mark well above his previous career high. The 76ers need him to lead the way on offense <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-nick-nurse-honest-take-strange-officiating-ejections-spurs">whenever Joel Embiid is sidelined for, say, a mid-game ejection</a>. Defensive rebounds and steals are one-way tickets to improved output on the other end.</p><p>“Without Joel, a lot of teams try to load up on me and sometimes trap,” Maxey said. “[Nick] Nurse has been on me about attacking early, attacking in transition. The ways I could do that [are] getting defensive rebounds and getting steals. So I don’t know if you’ve seen, I’ve been trying to get a lot more rebounds so I can push the ball and get out quicker and just play in the open space and get my teammates involved as well during that.”</p><p>Maxey racking up more steals has been a part of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-driving-forces-76ers-solid-defense-despite-joel-embiid-absence">76ers’ increased attention to forcing turnovers</a>, a defensive scheme that helps them overcome their lack of rim protection and size when Embiid sits. But a huge part of his performance against San Antonio — 32 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, three steals — was simply getting the ball as often as he could and going right to work.</p><h2><b>Tyrese Maxey’s rebounds, steals help 76ers defeat Spurs</b></h2><p>During training camp, the Sixers introduced a slogan, “The Ball Wins.” As simple as can be in its message, the team has increasingly focused on winning the possession battle. Tyrese Maxey explained that not only do rebounds and steals help that goal, but they also get him the ball in <a href="https://x.com/PHLY_Sixers/status/1871437854930571296" rel="noopener">easier situations to score</a>.</p><p>Maxey has the speed to go coast to coast before defenders can get back. A fortuitous bounce from a rebound gifted him a fast break that he finished himself. Russell Westbrook showed how a guard getting a rebound and starting the possession in that instant can be better than a big rebounding and passing it to a guard. Although Maxey is certainly not prime Russ, he’s ripped a page out of that book and followed it to the letter.</p><figure><video><source src="https://videos.nba.com/nba/pbp/media/2024/12/23/0022400394/627/c9095f50-ecef-f5b6-06c7-c30851ef9b99_1280x720.mp4?_=1" type="video/mp4"></source></video></figure><p>Maxey getting up the court before Victor Wembanyama meant that the Spurs had to protect against drives harder. Especially against a speedster like Maxey, the defense would rather keep the ball in front. Harrison Barnes backs up further behind the arc to contain Maxey. But all that does is leave room for No. 0 to launch from deep.</p><figure><video><source src="https://videos.nba.com/nba/pbp/media/2024/12/23/0022400394/389/378e19ad-69a3-f931-3cfb-f61fab3846dd_1280x720.mp4?_=2" type="video/mp4"></source></video></figure><p>When Maxey brings the ball up, all eyes are on him. This means that players without eyeballs on them can run down the lane with less resistance, as Guerschon Yabusele did in the second quarter.</p><figure><video><source src="https://videos.nba.com/nba/pbp/media/2024/12/23/0022400394/248/1a3d25b0-de43-53fc-0469-ff99dfd8620c_1280x720.mp4?_=3" type="video/mp4"></source></video></figure><p>Pushing the tempo creates advantages when the possession goes deeper into the shot clock, too. Maxey getting up the court quickly draws Julian Champagnie to him for long enough to make his closeout back to his man (Kyle Lowry) harder to pull off. Lowry’s drive ignites ball movement that ends in a triple for Caleb Martin. Even if Maxey didn’t end up making the last pass before the bucket, this pristine possession started with him.</p><figure><video><source src="https://videos.nba.com/nba/pbp/media/2024/12/23/0022400394/531/22350f80-0508-5861-42b1-001dc263045f_1280x720.mp4?_=4" type="video/mp4"></source></video></figure><p>In the midst of a dominant fourth-quarter stretch, Maxey picked off a pass and took it right to the cup. It served as the exclamation point on his performance, which was wrapped up nicely with a <a href="https://x.com/sixers/status/1871382092833329315" rel="noopener">dagger three-pointer</a> that secured the 76ers’ win.</p><figure><video><source src="https://videos.nba.com/nba/pbp/media/2024/12/23/0022400394/635/b16a6aa9-53ea-a907-f852-0ba4b7bcbab1_1280x720.mp4?_=5" type="video/mp4"></source></video></figure><p>Fortunately, the 76ers have Embiid healthy. Maxey will have an easier time creating advantages and making shots when the big man is there to help him. But he’s also learning how to win on the margins, one of the best developments of the Sixers going 7-3 in their last 10 games.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Tyrese Maxey’s uptick in rebounds, steals benefits his scoring

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/spurs-news-victor-wembanyama-blunt-take-andre-drummond-ejection-fiasco');   ga('set', 'title', 'Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama drops blunt take on Andre Drummond ejection fiasco');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Victor-Wembanyama-drops-blunt-take-on-Andre-Drummond-ejection-fiasco.jpg"></figure><h1>Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama drops blunt take on Andre Drummond ejection fiasco</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-24T08:49:12-08:00">December 24th, 8:49am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-24T08:49:12-08:00">December 24th, 8:49am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>What happened when the San Antonio Spurs visited the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night was a complete disaster regarding how this game was officiated. The continued drop in ratings has been a massive discussion across the NBA, and the officials are directly contributing to this problem, especially when you look at everything that occurred with Victor Wembanyama, Andre Drummond, and Joel Embiid during this game.</p><p>Bizarre is the perfect word to describe how this game went, as before <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-fans-lose-joel-embiids-ejection-foul-victor-wembanyama">Joel Embiid was ejected for his rampage towards the referees</a>, Drummond was ejected for throwing Wembanyama to the court before the ball had been inbounded by San Antonio. In a very unprecedented move, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-referee-admits-she-fd-up-andre-drummond-ejection-from-spurs">Drummond was ejected and then had this call reversed</a> in the span of a handful of minutes, allowing him to remain in the game and emerge from the locker room after subsequently having money taken out of his pocket by the officials for no reason whatsoever.</p><p>As both players battled for position under the basket, it seemed as if Drummond shoved Wembanyama, which prompted a second technical foul to be given to him. After the officials gathered to review the incident, this technical foul was rescinded on the floor, and Wembanyama was the one hit with a technical foul for flopping. Upon Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey making his free throw for the technical given to Wemby, this foul was then called back and the points were taken off the board as if nothing ever happened.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Andre Drummond was ejected after this play with Wembanyama.</p><p>The call was then reversed, and a flop was called on Victor.</p><p>Thoughts? 🤔<a href="https://t.co/3DRMqeFa51">pic.twitter.com/3DRMqeFa51</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1871358302216655070?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Nobody on the 76ers or Spurs knew what was going on, nor did they know this would eventually lead to the fiasco involving Embiid later on. When questioned about everything that went down on the court with Drummond and the officials in the Spurs’ 111-106 loss to the 76ers, Wembanyama shared his <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/43133441/76ers-joel-embiid-ejected-chaotic-opening-half-vs-spurs" rel="noopener">honest view of the play</a> that saw two technicals given out and reversed.</p><p>“He just stepped on my foot, and I fell,” Wembanyama said, via Michael C. Wright of ESPN. “I didn’t expect the foul to be called. I just fell.”</p><p>The Spurs star did not address the officials directly, nor did he comment on if he thought the whole matter was handled correctly or not. Interim head coach Mitch Johnson also gave his opinion on the Wembanyama-Drummond situation, claiming that he doesn’t think either player was in the wrong and no fouls should’ve been given out.</p><p>“I don’t think it was a foul on them, and I don’t think it was a flop [on Wembanyama],” Johnson stated. “That’s kind of how I saw it up to that point.”</p><h2><b>NBA officials admit mistake in 76ers-Spurs game</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Wembanyama-and-referee-shaking-hands-.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-nick-nurse-honest-take-strange-officiating-ejections-spurs">The 76ers and Spurs were lost for words</a> during Monday night’s game. There really hasn’t ever been an instance of one official ejecting a player, allowing the ejection to be overturned, calling a different technical foul, and then having that foul overturned as well. Not to mention, there really hasn’t ever been an instance of the same official who made these mistakes going on to throw one of the best players in the NBA out of the game for arguing calls.</p><p>If anything, there was a major power trip going on in Philadelphia during this game, and it had nothing to do with the players or respective teams, which is a major disappointment for the league as a whole.</p><p>In the aftermath of the craziness that took place in Wells Fargo Center, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer conducted a pool report with Crew Chief Curtis Blair to <a href="https://official.nba.com/pool-report-on-technical-fouls-and-ejection-in-second-quarter-of-tonights-san-antonio-at-philadelphia-game/" rel="noopener">set the record straight</a> on everything that happened with Drummond and Wembanyama, as well as the eventual ejection of Embiid.</p><p>When questioned about the Drummond-Wembanyama incident, Blair stated that further review of the matter determined that Drummond stepped on Wembanyama’s foot, which was deemed “incidental contact.” Due to Wembanyama tripping over Drummond’s foot, the technical foul for “flopping” was reversed. This is also the reason why a point was taken off the board for the 76ers from Maxey’s free throw.</p><p>At this time, there has been no further comment from the league regarding what happened in Philadelphia between both teams and the officials. It is yet to be seen if Embiid will face further discipline after being thrown out of this contest for blowing up on the officials.</p><p>As for Wembanyama and Drummond, this incident is being swept under the rug as if nothing ever happened.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama drops blunt take on Andre Drummond ejection fiasco

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/76ers-news-joel-embiid-not-talking-mood-controversial-ejection');   ga('set', 'title', '76ers’ Joel Embiid not in talking mood after controversial ejection');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Joel-Embiid-not-in-talking-mood-after-controversial-ejection.jpg"></figure><h1>76ers’ Joel Embiid not in talking mood after controversial ejection</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-24T06:38:00-08:00">December 24th, 6:38am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-24T06:38:29-08:00">December 24th, 6:38am</time><address><a>Jason Patt</a>Jason Patt started as an editor at ClutchPoints in 2018 and became the head of the editorial team in 2022. He also co-hosts Cash Considerations: A Chicago Bulls Podcast for the Blue Wire Network.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia 76ers star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-fans-lose-joel-embiids-ejection-foul-victor-wembanyama">Joel Embiid was ejected</a> in controversial fashion during a chaotic first half against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night. Embiid was seen smiling and celebrating with his teammates on the court after the Sixers pulled out a 111-108 victory over Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs, but the big man didn’t speak to the media. The Sixers center <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/43133441/76ers-joel-embiid-ejected-chaotic-opening-half-vs-spurs" rel="noopener">left the stadium</a> as reporters entered the locker room for postgame availability, according to ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.</p><p>Embiid was ejected with a few minutes left in the first half. The Sixers star was whistled for his first technical foul of the game for arguing an offensive foul call after he barreled into Wembanyama. Embiid was upset with the technical and had to be restrained, leading referee Jenna Schroeder to assess a second technical foul and an ejection.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Joel Embiid has been ejected from Sixers-Spurs after picking up two technical fouls where he was called for a charge against Wemby on this play.</p><p>Good or bad ejection? 🤔 <a href="https://t.co/a4E0SQycGy">pic.twitter.com/a4E0SQycGy</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1871362075219693774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-nick-nurse-honest-take-strange-officiating-ejections-spurs">Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said</a> he didn’t get an explanation for Embiid’s ejection and “assumed it was for arguing.” Schroeder said Embiid was ejected for two unsportsmanlike technical fouls. There was some question if Embiid made contact with Schroeder during the incident, but crew chief Curtis Blair told a pool reporter there was “incidental contact with both of them” but also noted “there was nothing that warranted any further punishment.”</p><p>The Joel Embiid fiasco came after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-referee-admits-she-fd-up-andre-drummond-ejection-from-spurs">Andre Drummond was ejected and then unejected</a>. This whole sequence also involved Wembanyama and Schroeder, with Drummond picking up two quick technical fouls after a scuffle with Wemby. However, the second technical was rescinded after a review, leading Drummond to return to the court in a bizarre scene.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The crowd's reaction as Andre Drummond returned to the court after his ejection was reversed 😅<a href="https://t.co/LOfkAgpilY">pic.twitter.com/LOfkAgpilY</a> <a href="https://t.co/vlxgrLES1Q">https://t.co/vlxgrLES1Q</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1871359837583659123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Schroeder late admitted she “f***ed up.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"I f*cked up"</p><p>NBA ref Jenna Schroeder during a stoppage in Sixers-Spurs 🔊</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/NikJohnson_Art?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NikJohnson_Art</a>/ IG)<a href="https://t.co/Lkj8dmguoQ">pic.twitter.com/Lkj8dmguoQ</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1871378605273682086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The good news for the Sixers is they didn’t let this officiating mess ruin their night. Philadelphia picked up the crucial win behind 32 points from Tyrese Maxey, who hit a clutch 3-pointer in crunch time to help secure the win.</p><p>After a brutal 3-14 start to the season, the Sixers are 7-3 in their last 10 games to get up to 10-17. While that’s still outside the play-in picture, they’re only 1.5 games behind the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons, who currently hold the final two play-in spots in the Eastern Conference.</p><p>If Embiid and the Sixers can actually stay healthy, they should continue their run up the standings. That’s a big if, of course, but this team is showing signs of life.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

76ers’ Joel Embiid not in talking mood after controversial ejection

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/76ers-news-nick-nurse-honest-take-strange-officiating-ejections-spurs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nick Nurse’s honest take on ‘strange’ officiating, ejections in 76ers win vs. Spurs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/76ers-news-Nick-Nurses-honest-take-on-strange-officiating-ejections-vs-Spurs.jpg"></figure><h1>Nick Nurse’s honest take on ‘strange’ officiating, ejections in 76ers win vs. Spurs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T20:25:13-08:00">December 23rd, 8:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T20:30:22-08:00">December 23rd, 8:30pm</time><address><a>Sam DiGiovanni</a>Sam DiGiovanni started at ClutchPoints as an associate editor in 2021 and became the site's Philadelphia 76ers beat reporter ahead of the 2022-23 season. He graduated from Marist College in May of 2022 and has written for TheKnicksWall.com and CenterFieldMarist.com in the past.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>PHILADELPHIA — No one had seen anything quite like the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-vs-spurs-refs-joel-embiid-victor-wembanyama">Philadelphia 76ers’ win over the San Antonio Spurs</a>. Given the choice, no one would request to see it again.</p><p>The ejection of Andre Drummond, the reversal of that ejection and the ejection of Joel Embiid that stood turned a competitive, exciting game on its head. The Sixers’ 111-106 win was gusty. It featured only 14 minutes of Embiid and injuries to Drummond and KJ Martin. But no one will remember this game for the home team in white or the away team in black. The three other people on the court in gray colored this game as much as, if not more than, any player.</p><p>Drummond and Victor Wembanyama <a href="https://x.com/FrankBarrett119/status/1871358694862250424" rel="noopener">fighting for position</a> led to two technical fouls on the 76ers center, though Wembanyama was clearly not pushed in the second instance. The referees, to their credit, reversed the incorrect call. But flipping it into a flopping call on Wemby that was then overturned after a review only made the whole thing more difficult to follow.</p><p>“The whole thing was really strange,” Nick Nurse said. “Without looking at the tape to see what was actually going on there, I doubt that he was going down because of such aggressive pushing that there was a probably a little bit of…whatever, you know what I mean? Just seemed really strange. All three of the calls seemed really strange to me, but on we go.”</p><p>Nurse said that he did hear referee <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-referee-admits-she-fd-up-andre-drummond-ejection-from-spurs">Jenna Schroeder admit that she messed up the Drummond situation</a>. He figured as much when the second technical foul was overturned. But he never got clarity on the Embiid ordeal.</p><p>“I didn’t really get an explanation for it,” the 76ers’ head coach said. “I couldn’t ever really get to the referee that called it so I was asking the other guys and they were saying, ‘Ask her,’ and I never really got a chance as the game was going. Never did find out. I just assume it was arguing and whatever.”</p><h2><b>76ers defeat Spurs despite Joel Embiid ejection</b></h2><p>According to the NBA’s pool report with crew chief Curtis Blair, contact between Embiid and Schroeder was just “incidental” and he was ejected because he <a href="https://official.nba.com/pool-report-on-technical-fouls-and-ejection-in-second-quarter-of-tonights-san-antonio-at-philadelphia-game/" rel="noopener">drew two unsportsmanlike penalties</a>. No further details were provided as to what Embiid did that was specifically defined as unsportsmanlike.</p><p>Tyrese Maxey, who iced the game with a strong fourth quarter and totaled 32 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and three steals, kept it diplomatic in his breakdown of the officiating.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tyrese Maxey: “I thought it was amazing. Great game. It was lit. It was fun.” <a href="https://t.co/L7YKeWfA2V">pic.twitter.com/L7YKeWfA2V</a></p><p>— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) <a href="https://twitter.com/BySamDiGiovanni/status/1871393052432212303?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I thought it was amazing. Great game. It was lit. It was fun,” Maxey said. “I didn’t get to see what happened to Joel so I was sitting down, then they said he was gone. So, that’s life. Guys rallied around it.”</p><p>The 76ers still have only made it through two games with all of their three stars in tact. Their latest attempt failed in that regard but it did end in a victory. The fact that it failed because of ejection is much better than any type of injury. They’ll head into their six-game road trip, which begins on Christmas against the Boston Celtics, happy that this game is simply over with.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nick Nurse’s honest take on ‘strange’ officiating, ejections in 76ers win vs. Spurs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/76ers-news-referee-admits-she-fd-up-andre-drummond-ejection-from-spurs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Referee admits she ‘F****d up’ Andre Drummond ejection from 76ers-Spurs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/76ers-news-Referee-Jenna-Schroeder-admits-she-F-up-Andre-Drummond-ejection-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Referee admits she ‘F****d up’ Andre Drummond ejection from 76ers-Spurs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T19:06:10-08:00">December 23rd, 7:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T19:33:42-08:00">December 23rd, 7:33pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-vs-spurs-refs-joel-embiid-victor-wembanyama">Philadelphia 76ers escaped with a 111-106 win</a> at home over the San Antonio Spurs Monday night <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-fans-lose-joel-embiids-ejection-foul-victor-wembanyama">but not before getting some controversial calls</a> from referee Jenna Schroeder, including the one that resulted in Sixers big man Andre Drummond’s ejection.</p><p>It happened in the second quarter when Spurs star Victor Wembanyama managed to draw a foul from Drummond on what appeared like a flop. Drummond was slapped with his first technical foul after that. He was hit with another technical later on, which got him ejected.</p><p>However, referee Jenna Schroeder later admitted that she was wrong to call a second technical foul on Drummond. After deliberation among the referees, the initial disqualifying technical foul on the veteran center was rescinded, thus allowing Drummond to return to the contest.</p><p>“I f****d up,” Schroeder <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1871378605273682086" rel="noopener">can be heard telling</a> 76ers head coach Nick Nurse on the sidelines.</p><p>The techincal fouls did not stop there, though. Schroeder would later call more on 76ers franchise player Joel Embiid in the third quarter, which triggered a ton of reactions from NBA and 76er fans online. Embiid got his first technical after arguing a call with Schroeder, who gave the seven-time NBA All-Star another tech shortly thereafter. It was a controversial sequence that left many questioning the ref’s judgment.</p><p>In any case, the 76ers got away with a win despite Embiid’s ejection and the confusion involving Drummond. Embiid concluded his night with just nine points on 2-for-8 shooting from the field with three rebounds, two steals and an assist in 14 minutes of action. Drummond, on the other hand, had two points in just seven minutes of action.</p><p>Now sporting a 10-17 record, the 76ers will look to build on their newfound momentum and keep it going on Wednesday when they face off against the defending NBA champions Boston Celtics at TD Garden.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Referee admits she ‘F****d up’ Andre Drummond ejection from 76ers-Spurs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/76ers-vs-spurs-refs-joel-embiid-victor-wembanyama');   ga('set', 'title', '76ers vs. Spurs: Refs overshadow Joel Embiid, Victor Wembanyama showdown');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/76ers-vs-Spurs.jpg"></figure><h1>76ers vs. Spurs: Refs overshadow Joel Embiid, Victor Wembanyama showdown</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T18:31:37-08:00">December 23rd, 6:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T20:27:31-08:00">December 23rd, 8:27pm</time><address><a>Sam DiGiovanni</a>Sam DiGiovanni started at ClutchPoints as an associate editor in 2021 and became the site's Philadelphia 76ers beat reporter ahead of the 2022-23 season. He graduated from Marist College in May of 2022 and has written for TheKnicksWall.com and CenterFieldMarist.com in the past.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia 76ers (10-17) got their first look of the season at the San Antonio Spurs (15-14) in their final home game of 2024. In an absolute circus of a basketball game, the Sixers held on to win 111-106.</p><p>After taking a game off on the second night of a back-to-back, Joel Embiid returned to the starting lineup to face Victor Wembanyama and the upstart Spurs. A Rookie-of-the-Year contender showdown between Jared McCain and Stephon Castle was canceled because of the former’s injury. But with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-kelly-oubre-jr-locker-room-vibes-win-hornets">the Sixers’ three stars all in action</a>, the stage was set for a competitive game.</p><p>The result was indeed that…just not in a way anyone wanted.</p><h2><b>Superstar bigs collide</b></h2><p>The last time Embiid and Wembanyama faced off in the NBA, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-joel-embiid-reveals-significance-of-having-70-point-game-in-front-of-brett-brown">Embiid set the 76ers’ single-game record for points, scoring 70</a>. Wemby was great in that game in his own right but the Sixers came out with the win. The superstar giants saw each other again in the Olympics with Embiid’s American squad taking home the gold over Wemby and Les Bleus.</p><p>Tonight’s matchup of the bigs was ended prematurely in one of the many displays of unbelievable officiating.</p><p>Embiid bodied Wembanyama time after time, backing him down relentlessly like a father playing one-on-one in the driveway against their son. Even for someone as long as the Spurs star, it was not easy to prevent his opponent from setting up in good spots. Embiid drew a shooting foul on Wemby on his first touch (though he gave it right back to San Antonio by pursuing a Devin Vassell three-pointer too hard).</p><p>Wemby had a rough night shooting the ball from downtown. Embiid’s size surely dissuaded him from taking certain shots and he couldn’t connect from downtown or establish inside position. He didn’t have the most sparkling half but he seemed to have the rising superstar’s number. And then the Grinch stole any sanity left in this hotly contested game.</p><p>Right before halftime, Embiid was called for a charge and argued the call, which would have left him with three fouls. He was animated and the referee who made the call, Jenna Schroeder, had enough of Embiid’s grumbling after roughly 15 seconds. She assessed him two quick technical fouls, which only angered him more. He was held back by teammates and staffers as an already wild game got kicked up from an 11 to about a 47.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Joel Embiid has been ejected from Sixers-Spurs after picking up two technical fouls where he was called for a charge against Wemby on this play.</p><p>Good or bad ejection? 🤔 <a href="https://t.co/a4E0SQycGy">pic.twitter.com/a4E0SQycGy</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1871362075219693774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>And that’s all that was written for Embiid vs. Wemby, Part 3.</p><p>The most notable part of Wemby’s game might have been his <a href="https://x.com/BySamDiGiovanni/status/1871356714580414491" rel="noopener">run-in in the second quarter</a> with Andre Drummond. The refs calling a tech on Drummond, then calling another, then calling a flopping technical on Wemby and then rescinding it after the Sixers shot their technical free-throw made for some wonderful Ref Ball. That’s what the people come to see!</p><h2><b>Overcoming Wemby’s defense</b></h2><p>Before the game, Nick Nurse all but admitted defeat when it came to shooting right at the basket against Wembanyama. He said that the Sixers need to <a href="https://x.com/dan_olinger/status/1871325723019170007" rel="noopener">get drive-and-kick sequences</a> and refrain from trying the NBA’s blocks leader at the rim. Embiid being in the lineup certainly made things easier, though constructing buckets against Wemby when he rested would be a challenge for a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-paul-george-key-fix-must-be-made-cavs-loss">Sixers offense that was anything but elite without him</a>.</p><p>Embiid’s gravity pulled Wemby away from the rim far, opening lanes for Tyrese Maxey and Paul George to get deep into the paint. He drew Jeremy Sochan away from PG, freeing him up for a triple. Embiid was big enough to push Wemby around. Unsurprisingly, no one else was.</p><p>The other Sixers were very hesitant to try Wemby. Without Embiid, they were almost entirely incapable of scoring in the paint. Drummond found out the hard way before all the shenanigans happened. His attempt to squeeze a layup by Wemby was thwarted quickly and emphatically. It was the first of three blocks in the final 80 seconds of the first quarter for the French Slenderman.</p><p>Without Embiid in the second half, Wemby was free to roam the court and scare off would-be shooters. He forced the Sixers into shooting more threes. Although their shooting had been unimpressive, they rose to the occasion, nailing three of them in the span of two minutes to take their largest lead of the night. Maxey set up a lot of the threes with crisp drive-and-kicks, raising his team’s volume to match that of San Antonio.</p><p>The Spurs punched back in the third quarter. A charge led by rookie Stephon Castle cut a 15-point deficit as low as six. They launched lots of treys with thoughts of a comeback dancing in their heads. However, the Sixers kept the ball moving and hit shots of their own, holding on tightly to their lead.</p><p>As Philly’s offense stalled, Chris Paul hit a huge three to put the Spurs ahead midway through the fourth quarter. It was a tight contest the rest of the way, neither team running out to big advantages. They traded buckets in the final minutes, one of which was an and-one dunk from Maxey. Then he stuck the dagger into his opponent with a step-back three, concluding his night with 32 points (12 in the fourth quarter), 10 rebounds, eight assists and three steals.</p><p>Maxey taking charge was precisely what the Sixers needed in this game. It’s something to build on for future Embiid-less stretches and a reminder that he’s not someone to lay down when things get hard.</p><h2><b>Sacre bleu, Guerschon Yabusele!</b></h2><p>Wembanyama wasn’t the only Frenchie wreaking havoc.</p><p>Yabusele gave the Sixers a huge lift off the bench, igniting the run in the third quarter and hitting some huge shots early on. He saw a huge uptick in minutes with Embiid out, starting the second half and matching up with Wembanyama often. He expertly used the rim to prevent Wemby from blocking one of his layup attempts and straight up made shots (6-8 from the field).</p><p>On defense, Yabusele was just as impressive. How many players are capable of blocking Wemby and baiting CP3 into a turnover? The 76ers forward did both in this one on his way to racking up a game-high four steals.</p><p>KJ Martin started and made some great hustle plays but he wasn’t having his best game. The Sixers sorely needed Yabusele in this one, especially with Drummond being ruled out in the third quarter due to a toe injury and Martin later being ruled out in the fourth.</p><p>Next up for the 76ers: a six-game road trip that will take them into the new year. It begins on Christmas with their first matchup against the Boston Celtics this season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

76ers vs. Spurs: Refs overshadow Joel Embiid, Victor Wembanyama showdown

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/76ers-news-fans-lose-joel-embiids-ejection-foul-victor-wembanyama');   ga('set', 'title', '76ers fans lose it over Joel Embiid’s ejection after foul on Victor Wembanyama');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/76ers-news-Joel-Embiid-gets-ejected-for-controversial-foul-on-Victor-Wembanyama.jpg"></figure><h1>76ers fans lose it over Joel Embiid’s ejection after foul on Victor Wembanyama</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T17:45:53-08:00">December 23rd, 5:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T17:58:33-08:00">December 23rd, 5:58pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The night ended a little early for Philadelphia 76ers star big man Joel Embiid after he was called for two technical fouls and subsequently ejected from Monday night’s home game versus the visiting San Antonio Spurs.</p><p>The disqualifying second technical foul was slapped on the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sixers-news-joel-embiid-wins-mvp-award-after-historic-2022-23-season">76ers franchise player and former NBA Most Valuable Player</a> in the third quarter and with the 76ers trailing the visitors by two points after he got called for a foul on star Victor Wembanyama.</p><p>Before he got tossed from the contest, Embiid had scored nine points on just 2-for-8 shooting from the floor to go with six rebounds, five assists and a steal in 14 minutes of action</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Joel Embiid was FURIOUS after picking up an offensive foul on Wemby 😳</p><p>Embiid was hit with two techs and was ejected 😬 <a href="https://t.co/9rVIGazig1">pic.twitter.com/9rVIGazig1</a></p><p>— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1871363566726524984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Fans have strong reactions to Joel Embiid’s ejection from Spurs-76ers game</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Joel-Embiid.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>As expected, fans reacted strongly to Embiid’s ejection, with many using that as an example of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-joe-mazzulla-blame-nba-ratings-dip-but-he-asks-key-question">why the NBA’s ratings are down</a>.</p><p>“Yeah Joel Embiid earned this ejection. No need to yell in that woman’s face like that with all due respect,” <a href="https://x.com/casualtakeking/status/1871365178383823221" rel="noopener">said </a>an X user.</p><p>“Joel Embiid just got tossed for this…Keep in mind, this was right after the same ref tossed Andre Drummond for the most obvious &amp; blatant Wemby flop you’ve ever seen. Wtf is happening? Haven’t seen Embiid that heated before…NBA refs remain a joke,” <a href="https://x.com/JoshReynolds24/status/1871362687990628401" rel="noopener">said another commenter</a>, who was also referring to 76ers backup center Andre Drummond’s ejection earlier in the game (which was later rescinded).</p><p>From <a href="https://x.com/BronGotGame/status/1871362395966431619" rel="noopener">another X user</a>: “The league wonders why the ratings down and you got these soft a*s refs ejecting Embiid when people came to see him &amp; Wemby match up.”</p><p>“Oh my god the same ref who ejected Andre Drummond just ejected Joel Embiid. What is going on,” a <a href="https://x.com/big_business_/status/1871361468631007309" rel="noopener">different comment</a> read.</p><p>Via another <a href="https://x.com/PlayoffLucro/status/1871363475257324021" rel="noopener">comment</a>: “Refs use ejections as a threat if a player starts arguing with them 🤦🏾‍♂️ Embiid got ejected for screaming in an arena lmao atp you have to hold the refs accountable and fine them the whole games worth for mistakes like this.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

76ers fans lose it over Joel Embiid’s ejection after foul on Victor Wembanyama

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/76ers-news-paul-george-key-fix-must-be-made-cavs-loss');   ga('set', 'title', 'Paul George reveals key fix that must be made after 76ers’ loss to Cavs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Watch-Paul-George-make-his-Intuit-Dome-debut-for-76ers-Clippers.jpg"></figure><h1>Paul George reveals key fix that must be made after 76ers’ loss to Cavs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T08:18:54-08:00">December 22nd, 8:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T08:18:54-08:00">December 22nd, 8:18am</time><address><a>Sam DiGiovanni</a>Sam DiGiovanni started at ClutchPoints as an associate editor in 2021 and became the site's Philadelphia 76ers beat reporter ahead of the 2022-23 season. He graduated from Marist College in May of 2022 and has written for TheKnicksWall.com and CenterFieldMarist.com in the past.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia 76ers fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers as Joel Embiid returned to the sidelines on the second night of back-to-back. The 126-99 defeat showed the massive <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-vs-cavs-tyrese-maxey-great-moments-blowout-loss">differences between the Cavs’ offense and the Sixers’ Embiid-less offense</a>, which relied heavily on Paul George and Tyrese Maxey.</p><p>George shot poorly against a staunch Cavs defense, leaving much to be desired aside from a <a href="https://x.com/BazHoopz/status/1870644294782267899" rel="noopener">highlight-reel-worthy crossover and jumper</a>. He explained that his and the Sixers’ stagnation on offense needs to be sorted out.</p><p>“Just player movement,” George told reporters in Cleveland when asked what the Sixers have to tighten up. “I think we gotta move a little bit more. I gotta move a little bit more. I thought tonight was a poor effort on my behalf of just moving, a lot of it was stagnant. I’m gonna see a lot of loaded-up defenses so I gotta move a little bit better. I gotta run the floor a little harder. Same stuff I’ve been saying but I gotta be consistent on that front to allow myself to get some easier opportunities.”</p><h2><b>Paul George says 76ers’ offense needs more movement</b></h2><p>The 76ers’ philosophy on offense has been to trust their stars to cook and create open shots by drawing double teams. When Embiid isn’t a part of the lineup, the formula is not enough to compete with most good teams. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-jared-mccain-delivers-heartbreaking-injury-update-after-surgery">With Jared McCain recovering from a meniscus tear</a>, the Sixers lack the firepower to compete with teams like the Cavs, owners of the best offensive rating in the NBA.</p><p>The Sixers usually begin possessions with some screening and a set to open up room for one of their stars but beyond that, the offense becomes a one-on-one battle with everyone else spotting up or standing in the dunker’s spot. When those battles are lost, it becomes extremely difficult to score.</p><p>Against the Cavs, George didn’t attempt a single shot within 10 feet of the hoop. Cleveland’s twin-tower lineup dissuades rim attempts against everyone but for a star player to not get any downhill pressure is not a good sign. The Cavs were mostly able to guard him one-on-one, risking a George heater but preventing him from creating offense for the team. Maxey shot well from deep and got some buckets in transition but he, too, was held in check on most half-court possessions.</p><p>As the 76ers look to bounce back against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, they’re not only looking to pick up a win in their last home game of 2024 but also set a tone to carry into their road trip.</p><p>“We want to play well going into this West Coast trip coming up,” Paul George told reporters. “Try to take care of this next game. Look at it from that lens, move on from tonight. Tonight was a tough one but [we’ll] move on from tonight, get ready for San Antonio. They’ve been playing well, so that’ll be a good challenge for us. Obviously, [the] big fella [will be] back out there again. Now we’re getting momentum with that unit that’s out there.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Paul George reveals key fix that must be made after 76ers’ loss to Cavs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/76ers-2-potential-replacements-for-jared-mccain-after-season-ending-surgery');   ga('set', 'title', '2 potential replacements for Jared McCain after season-ending surgery');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/76ers-3-potential-replacement-for-Jared-McCain-after-season-ending-surgery.jpg"></figure><h1>2 potential replacements for Jared McCain after season-ending surgery</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T05:31:24-08:00">December 22nd, 5:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T05:31:24-08:00">December 22nd, 5:31am</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a multifaceted writer who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As you may or may not have heard, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-jared-mccain-delivers-heartbreaking-injury-update-after-surgery">Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain announced on YouTube</a> that he will be out for the remainder of the season after having successful surgery on his left meniscus.</p><p>After rocketing off to an incredible rookie campaign, hitting 3s open and contested, repositioning himself like a mini-Steph Curry, and providing some additional pop as a pesky defender and secondary passer, McCain’s season has presumably come to an end, with a return come playoff time dashed until a team official says otherwise.</p><p>Now, for the Sixers, this is the latest crushing blow in a decade of crushing blows, predictable and not. Suddenly, Philadelphia had another ascending young star on a rookie-scale contract one year after Tyrese Maxey cashed in on his rookie-scale contract extension, and while there were some questions about how the two players fit together on the court, they were slowly but surely figuring it out. Even if McCain is still a member of the 76ers, his ceiling is still sky high, and Philadelphia can account for him as a part of their future moving forward, he won’t be knocking down 3s for Embiid as an outlet pass option any time soon, which, quite frankly, sucks.</p><p>So, with McCain out of action moving forward, what can the 76ers do to help replace him moving forward? Should they target another guard, point or shooting, to help ease the blow in the short and/or long term? Or does Philadelphia have enough depth to weather this storm but could use the additional roster spot to add a player at another position of need? Well, let’s take a look at the market, at the roster, and see what Daryl Morey, Elton Brand, and company can put together in order to keep Philadelphia alive and kicking in McCain’s honor.</p><h2><b>2 potential replacements for Jared McCain</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Vasilije-Micic-talks-to-Charlotte-Hornets-head-coach-Steve-Clifford.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h2><b>1. Trade for Vasilije Micić</b></h2><p>If the 76ers want to acquire a veteran point guard who can play either guard spot, defend across multiple positions, and dish out dimes to everyone from Tyrese Maxey to Joel Embiid, they should trade for Lonzo Ball.</p><p>On paper, Ball is a perfect fit; he can hit 3s both on and off the ball, is a savant passer who can set his teammates up at a – dare I say – James Harden-level, and made his bones in the NBA as a defense-first guard, capable of going against guards 1-through-3 with ease. Play him next to Maxey in 2024-25, deploy him in a three-man platoon with McCain in 2025-26, and who knows, maybe there’s a three-guard look down the line where all three can co-exist like Dennis Schroder, Chris Paul, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in OKC back in 2019-20?</p><p>The problem? <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/balllo01.html" rel="noopener">Ball is making $21 million</a>, and unless the 76ers trade four players to make the deal work or part way with one of their big three, there just isn’t a world where he’s going to land in Philadelphia before the 2025 NBA trade deadline.</p><p>Fortunately, there is a player who can do some of the things Ball can do and would likely be gettable for basically nothing in Carolina Hornets guard Vasilije Micić, the Spanish point guard who actually has some interesting ties to Philadelphia.</p><p>Originally drafted by the team in 2014 when Sam Hinkie was still calling the shots, Morey threw in Micic NBA rights when he traded <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-sixers-trade-al-horford-to-thunder-for-danny-green-two-draft-picks" rel="noopener">Al Horford and a protected 2025 first-round pick</a> to the Thunder for Danny Green, Vincent Poirier, and a second-round pick.</p><p>From there,<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/micicva01.html" rel="noopener"> Micic played for the Thunder for 30 games</a> starting in 2023 before being traded to the Hornets in February of 2024 alongside Davis Bertans, Tre Mann, and two seconds for the rights to Gordon Hayward. While that trade didn’t really work out for the Thunder or Micic, he has played well when his number gets called, most recently scoring 20 points on the 76ers in their most recent showdown on December 20th.</p><p>Standing 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, Micic isn’t a great defender, but he can score, he can pass, and most importantly of all, he’s being wasted in Charlotte, where he’s only appeared in 17 games with eight starts. If the Hornets are willing to move on from Micic for cap filler and a second-round pick, say, Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond, then the 76ers should at least consider it. If, however, they want to expand the deal out even further and get another player of note back in the deal, someone like Grant Williams, Josh Green, Cody Martin, or Nick Richards in the deal, then that is most certainly an option, too.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Markelle-Fultz-dribbling-the-basketball.jpeg"><figcaption>Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h2><b>2. Sign Markelle Fultz</b></h2><p>If <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/markelle-fultz-possibility-drafted-76ers" rel="noopener">Markelle Fultz began his career</a> playing for any other team in the NBA but the 76ers, he would probably be a member of the team right now.</p><p>On paper, Fultz pretty much fits every bill the 76ers have been looking for, even before McCain went down with a season-ending injury. Now sure, <i>technically</i>, he still can’t put up 3s at a respectable clip,<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/fultzma01.html" rel="noopener"> hitting a high water mark of 31.0 percent</a> back in 2022-23 for the Magic, but the pride of Upper Marlboro is still a good defender, has position versatility across both guard spots, and bringing a scoring pop off the bench. While Fultz is still more of a combo guard than a true point, he’s taken a step forward as a passer and a rebounder during his run in Orlando, averaging 4.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game during his run in the Magic Kingdom.</p><p>Currently unsigned after failing to find a home during free agency, Fultz could sign a 10-day contract or agree to a non-guaranteed deal to stick around in Philadelphia conditionally, with the potential to be waived should a better option become available or the 76ers need his roster spot for one reason or another.</p><p>The problem? There are so many feelings about Fultz already in Philadelphia, from being a wasted pick to the disappointment of how his career shook out to the enjoyment over the fact that the pick the 76ers acquired from Orlando for his services ended up being used to select Maxey out of Kentucky. His old number, 20, has been taken by McCain, another player who looks like a home run 76ers draftee, and his play — or lack thereof – will be under a bigger microscope than Player X with no other ties to Philadelphia.</p><p>Bring back Seth Curry? Sure. Trade Eric Gordon for Jaden Springer? Why not? He’s still a good defender, even if Boston won’t play him. Heck, most would even welcome back Mattise Thybulle now that he’s added a 3 point shot to his elite defensive game as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. But Fultz? The player the Colangelo’s drafted over Jayson Tatum? Goodness, no matter if he plays well, poorly, or somewhere in between, fans will have an inflated opinion on it, which might just produce too much drama than it’s worth.</p><p>If the 76ers deem the risk worth it, however, then yeah, why not give him a 10 day contract and see how he plays alongside Maxey? If it works out, Philadelphia will look like geniuses. And if it doesn’t? Well, Trust The Process, baby.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Philadelphia
76ers NEWS

76ers News: Get the latest Philadelphia 76ers news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest 76ers News

Victor Wembanyama hits Spurs for not ‘holding standards’ in loss after award

76ers vs. Celtics Prop Predictions for NBA Christmas 2024

76ers vs. Celtics prediction, odds, pick for NBA Christmas 2024

How Tyrese Maxey’s uptick in rebounds, steals benefits his scoring

Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama drops blunt take on Andre Drummond ejection fiasco

76ers’ Joel Embiid not in talking mood after controversial ejection

Nick Nurse’s honest take on ‘strange’ officiating, ejections in 76ers win vs. Spurs

• Referee admits she ‘F****d up’ Andre Drummond ejection from 76ers-Spurs

• 76ers vs. Spurs: Refs overshadow Joel Embiid, Victor Wembanyama showdown

• 76ers fans lose it over Joel Embiid’s ejection after foul on Victor Wembanyama

• Paul George reveals key fix that must be made after 76ers’ loss to Cavs

• 2 potential replacements for Jared McCain after season-ending surgery

Philadelphia76ers NEWS

76ers News: Get the latest Philadelphia 76ers news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest 76ers News

Victor Wembanyama hits Spurs for not ‘holding standards’ in loss after award

76ers vs. Celtics Prop Predictions for NBA Christmas 2024

76ers vs. Celtics prediction, odds, pick for NBA Christmas 2024

How Tyrese Maxey’s uptick in rebounds, steals benefits his scoring

Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama drops blunt take on Andre Drummond ejection fiasco

76ers’ Joel Embiid not in talking mood after controversial ejection

Nick Nurse’s honest take on ‘strange’ officiating, ejections in 76ers win vs. Spurs

• Referee admits she ‘F****d up’ Andre Drummond ejection from 76ers-Spurs

• 76ers vs. Spurs: Refs overshadow Joel Embiid, Victor Wembanyama showdown

• 76ers fans lose it over Joel Embiid’s ejection after foul on Victor Wembanyama

• Paul George reveals key fix that must be made after 76ers’ loss to Cavs

• 2 potential replacements for Jared McCain after season-ending surgery

Philadelphia
76ers NEWS