The Philadelphia 76ers fought to the very end against the Phoenix Suns and had a chance to score on the last possession down two, 118-116.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The thing is, Paul George didn’t know the score.
Kevin Durant made a layup with 24 seconds left in the fourth quarter and Philadelphia had enough time to respond. George was given the ball and needed a three to win, but instead tried to hit a contested, stepback jumper for two over Grayson Allen that missed.
When asked about why he came up with the decision to shoot for a tie instead of a victory, George didn’t realize what he had done until after the buzzer sounded.
“I mean, that was, again, bad evaluation. I thought we were down one. I thought KD made the layup that put them up one, otherwise, go for the three to try to win the game opposed to going for a two to tie the game. After watching it, another bonehead play,” George said. “Another situation, why not go for the win? I mean, I got the matchup. Kyle (Lowry) putting a favorite matchup in that situation. I got a good look, rimmed in and out. You live with that at the end of the day.”
"Bad evaluation" ????
Paul George explains his poor decision-making on the final possession of the game. pic.twitter.com/wB0BaIpZvY
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) November 5, 2024
George, who signed a four-year, $211 million contract in the offseason with the 76ers, made his debut for the team after dealing with a knee injury. Despite not scoring in the first quarter, he had 10 points in the second frame and finished with 15 overall.
While he may have wanted to go for the win in hindsight, forcing overtime was still an option to find a way to win. Forcing George to miss the shot that ultimately decided the result, Allen gave George next to no room for a clean opportunity and his defense was what came in clutch late in the game.
“We talked about taking individual pride. I think Grayson is an underappreciated, underrated defender and kept him (George) in front, made him take a tough two and the clock went out,” Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer said about Allen. “I thought Grayson just did a great job of keeping him in front and contesting, making him take a tough shot.”
As a result of the tough loss, the 76ers are now 1-5 on the season and it remains to be seen when superstar Joel Embiid will return from injury. Tyrese Maxey carried the offensive workload with 32 points and was a bright spot despite the result.
Both the Suns and 76ers next play each other on Jan. 6, 2025.
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Mercury, Suns and ASU Athletics for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
