Sixers’ play in clutch situations a major factor in their first-half success

The NBA’s Eastern Conference appears to be a three-team race, and one reason the 76ers have put themselves on top at the All-Star break is their play in clutch situations.

The Sixers (24-12) will try to hold off the Brooklyn Nets (23-12) over the second half of the season. The third contender, Milwaukee, is 22-14.

If the Sixers perform in clutch situations during the second half of the season the way they did in the first, then they are likely to keep their lead. The Sixers resume their season March 11 in Chicago.

The Sixers lead the NBA in clutch wins, defined as games in which the margin is five points or less in the final five minutes. Their record in such games is 15-5, according to NBA.com stats.

The 15th of those wins came during Wednesday’s 131-123 overtime home win over the Utah Jazz in a game matching the top teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences.

» READ MORE: Sixers cap season’s first half with 131-123 OT victory over Jazz

In the game, the Sixers trailed, 114-109, with 2 minutes and 18 seconds in regulation after Rudy Gobert scored on a dunk.

“I think we’ve done that at least six times in the first half of the season where we were down, and down the stretch we make comebacks and we close,” coach Doc Rivers said. “It shows a sort of mental toughness, that a lot of people didn’t think we had before the season started, so I think our guys are showing that they can hang in there in tight games.”

What the statistics show is that the Sixers have been at their defensive best in clutch situations. The Sixers’ defensive rating of 90.1 — the number of points they allow per 100 possessions — in those spots leads the NBA.

A key to achieving that rating is having Ben Simmons, who is able to defend any position on the court. Usually in clutch situations, the 6-foot-10 Simmons will be on the opponent’s top scorer.

“There are very few players in the NBA that can do the things that Ben does defensively,” Rivers said before the game.

» READ MORE: As Doc Rivers sees it, Ben Simmons is the frontrunner for NBA Defensive Player of the Year

The Sixers are sixth in offensive rating (116.1) in clutch situations.

One thing the Sixers have to improve on for the entire game, including clutch situations, is their turnover percentage, which is an estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays. In clutch situations, the Sixers are dead last in turnover percentage at 18.5.

It is not too surprising that the Nets are tied for third in clutch wins. The Nets are 13-7 in such games. Milwaukee, which has been inconsistent, is just 5-8(Portland at 14-5 is second in clutch wins.

Joel Embiid, who had 40 points and 19 rebounds against Utah, is fifth in the NBA in clutch scoring, averaging 4.7 points in such situations. He is second in free-throw attempts (2.2), hitting 83.8% of them.

So having a dominant go-to player such as Embiid on offense (and defense) and with Simmons leading the defensive effort, the Sixers have prospered in these situations.

The fact that they have won 75% of these games helps explain much of their first-half success.

» READ MORE: Overtime thriller against Jazz is a microcosm of these first-half Sixers | David Murphy