NEW YORK — For the ninth straight game, reporters crowded around Paul George's locker to ask the nine-time All-Star about a disappointing loss. A nice change of pace this time: George was able to speak with pride about the effort the Sixers played with.
"Just thought we played hard," George said. "We played both ends. We shared the ball. We got stops… I thought we were connected. Most connected we've been in the past couple weeks ago… I just think [we had] a grit. There was a grit. There was a fight in us, and I thought, again, we were connected."
The Sixers, down by as many as 19 points in the first half, had fallen to the New York Knicks 110-105 after making a valiant effort in the second half which enabled them to erase New York's lead and momentarily pull ahead multiple times down the stretch. George was at the center of that push, but in the final few minutes he and the Sixers ran out of gas.
In this week's Friday film, taking a look at George's second half performance, some of the lulls which sunk the Sixers prior to intermission and more standout plays from Madison Square Garden:
George finally finds a groove, but makes some mistakes
George only sat for about three minutes in the second half, and was largely very good. As Tyrese Maxey struggled with his shot, it was George who carried an offense which Kelly Oubre Jr. had barely kept afloat in the first half. George scored 17 points after halftime, did so with strong efficiency and knocked down three triples in the process.
But there was a glaring issue: all five of George's turnovers against the Knicks came during the second half, a sign of not just the lingering injury which has rendered his left pinky finger immobile, but also the pitfalls of giving such a high-usage role to a player who is struggling with advantage creation.
Some of the highlights and lowlights of George's second half:
Paul George in the second half @ NYK on Wednesday:
– 20:50
– 17 points
– 7-11 FG
– 3-6 3P
– 5 turnovers
Some of the highs and lows from George's resurgence at Madison Square Garden in a close Sixers loss: pic.twitter.com/SRJrO0WV8H— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) February 28, 2025
This game was certainly a major step in the right direction — George finished the contest with 25 points, marking his first time eclipsing 20 points in over a month — but it also demonstrated the limitations that he has when used in such a significant offensive role.
Lapses in effort cost Sixers points
George and the Sixers played with tremendous effort in the second half, but they were doing so to dig themselves out of a massive hole that they fell into with poor effort in the first 24 minutes of the game. Time and time again during their nine-game losing streak, the Sixers have experienced lulls in which they fail to perform the most basic of functions to keep things upright.
After turning the ball over near the basket on this play, George never attempts to get back in the play as New York leaks out in transition. Andre Drummond, perhaps the most frequent culprit on plays like this during the season, is extremely slow to get back himself. The result is an easy dunk for the Knicks:
After Paul George turns it over, he makes no effort to get back in transition. Andre Drummond is slow to get back, as the Sixers defend three-on-five. The Knicks get an easy basket: pic.twitter.com/Yf8wN4YA57
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) February 28, 2025
The lack of hustle early also impacted the Sixers on the offensive end. After securing a stop, Drummond sees George pushing the ball and expects the team to take a quick shot in transition. He stays back, but unlike the Sixers on the play above, the Knicks make a concerted effort to set their defense. Suddenly, the Sixers are playing four-on-five on offense, and Quentin Grimes throws the ball out of bounds:
Andre Drummond stays in the backcourt after a stop, thinking the Sixers will quickly score in transition. But the Knicks are able to get back and set their defense. Drummond never emerges, and the Sixers end up playing four-on-five. Quentin Grimes throws the ball away in traffic: pic.twitter.com/Fu4A8VsLrs
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) February 28, 2025
As easy as it is to find plays like these that are tough to watch and talk about how effort is always controllable, there is no player or team that does not have one of these every now and then. But the Sixers experience these lapses in focus at a jarring frequency, and each one is magnified when the team has not won in over three weeks.
A few extra plays
Maxey had one of his worst shooting nights in recent memory on Wednesday, which was ironic because he had one of the best shooting nights of his career to save the Sixers' season last time he was in that building. But he said after the game that he volunteered to take on the initial assignment of defending Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson, which was predictably passed around as the game went on.
It is truly remarkable how far Maxey's defense has come since the early stages of last season, when he was a weak link without much utility. Where Maxey has made a massive leap is as a defensive playmaker, now standing among the few league leaders in steals thanks to terrific instincts and a defensive context which often generates opportunities for him to take risks. Maxey is far from a consistent one-on-one stopper now, but has become viable defending on an island in a way that was difficult to envision not that long ago. He had a few early standout plays on the defensive end that are worth mentioning:
Tyrese Maxey had a rough shooting night against the New York Knicks on Wednesday, but made a handful of standout defensive plays, including this steal and block: pic.twitter.com/Pc1JEeKx9t
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) February 28, 2025
Ricky Council IV's second NBA season has been a major disappointment for all parties involved; the idea of an optimized version of Council is an extremely exciting and helpful player. He has just not been that guy, often appearing to lose the trust of his coaches with questionable decisions. Since that has been written about extensively here over the last few months, it is only fair to share this wise play Council made to nab an assist in New York. Many times, Council has attacked the rim recklessly on drives like these and gone for the glory, only to come up empty. This time, he stayed in control and made the smart play:
Oftentimes in these driving situations, Ricky Council IV gets ambitious and goes for a low-percentage poster attempt. This time, he stays in control and makes a nice drop-off pass to Adem Bona for an assist: pic.twitter.com/sHufpm7gIb
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) February 28, 2025
If the Sixers can get Council back on track over the final seven weeks of the season, allowing him to at least enter his third season with some momentum, they could to some extent salvage what has largely been a frustrating year for a player many are fond of.
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