Boston Celtics reporter Jared Weiss of The Athletic had to drag Buddy Hield for one of the worst game-tying shots in an elimination game NBA fans have ever seen, in the last seconds of the Philadelphia 76ers’ 118-115 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 6.
With over three seconds left on the clock, Hield launched a shot several feet behind the three-point line with his feet barely set and his body not squared up to the basket — the kind of shot one would put up with .3 seconds left on the clock. It missed, and with it, the Sixers were sent home. For the game, Hield had 20 points off the bench with 17 in the second quarter alone.
Weiss belittled Daryl Morey’s decision to trade for the 31-year-old at the deadline just for the former Oklahoma star to throw the game away.
“Imagine trading for Buddy Hield only for him to throw up that garbage with the season on the line,” Weiss tweeted.
Sixers have numerous offseason questions, and poaching Jrue Holiday from the Boston Celtics won’t be one of their answers
Before Jrue Holiday re-signed with the Celtics, the Sixers were viewed as a potential poach target during the offseason. That won’t happen now that Holiday has signed a four-year, $135 million extension, so Philadelphia will have to look for anything other than reuniting with Boston’s Swiss Army knife guard.
Unfortunately for the Sixers, there’s just not much out there. Paul George will likely be available, but Philadelphia is reportedly reluctant to sign him to a max contract. Ditto for the Orlando Magic. Beyond George, DeMar DeRozan may be worth some thought, but in reality, his half-court heavy offense isn’t a good fit with fellow ball-dominant frontcourt scorer Joel Embiid.
D’Angelo Russell and Immanuel Quickley are bad fits next to Tyrese Maxey, who’s due for his own big payday, and Klay Thompson wouldn’t be much of an upgrade over Hield or Tobias Harris — who went scoreless in Game 6 in a poorly-timed dud — at this point. Both of them are free agents whose future Philly must address.
There are not many ways the Sixers can get better. They needed this series to figure out if their core is worth keeping in the postseason’s later rounds, but Hield threw it all away with time on the clock to spare for whatever reason.
