It's Officially Time to Panic: Sixers Set to Face 14 of 15 Games Against Teams with Winning Records

Corey Chmara

The Sixers spent the entirety of last week without Joel Embiid, who is currently dealing with a foot sprain. In their four games, they went 1-3, managing to beat the Washington Wizards 109-103. The Wizards own the NBA's worst record at 6-31.

The week kicked off with a home game against the Phoenix Suns. As expected, Embiid did not play. The Sixers got off to a fast start, leading 23-16 after the first quarter. But, as it often happens, the opposing team slowly chipped away at the Sixers' lead and eventually pulled away. Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points and had 10 assists in the game, while Kelly Oubre Jr. added 26 points and 11 rebounds. However, Paul George had a rough game, scoring just 13 points on 5-of-18 shooting in 37 minutes. That’s simply not going to cut it. Of course, George isn’t expected to score 25 points every night, but without Embiid, the Sixers need more than 13 points on 27% shooting from him. The Sixers lost this one 109-99.

Gary Bassing/Getty Images

On Wednesday, the 76ers faced the Washington Wizards, who came into the game with a 6-28 record. Once again, Joel Embiid didn’t play, and Paul George was also out. Tyrese Maxey stepped up once again with 29 points, and the Sixers received strong contributions from Guerschon Yabusele, Eric Gordon, and Kelly Oubre Jr. Yabusele put up 21 points and 8 rebounds, while Gordon and Oubre Jr. each scored 15 points. Gordon made some key shots to help the Sixers rebuild a 15-point lead in the third quarter. This was another fast start for the Sixers, but they allowed Washington to claw back into the game, even losing the lead at times with under four minutes to go. This falls on Nick Nurse, whose job it is to keep the players engaged and playing hard. Too often, he just stands there in disbelief, but it’s on him to keep the team focused until the final buzzer. Luckily, with some big shots from Tyrese Maxey and Eric Gordon, the Sixers were able to close out the game and win 109-103.

After a day of rest following their narrow win over Washington, the Sixers welcomed the New Orleans Pelicans to town. The Pelicans suspended All-Star Zion Williamson for the game, and New Orleans came in with a 7-31 record, missing both Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Paul George returned to the lineup and played well, scoring 25 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out 5 assists. Tyrese Maxey led the way again with 30 points and 12 assists. Unlike many of their recent games, the Sixers got off to a slow start, and the game was close throughout. The lead changed hands multiple times in the third quarter, but ultimately, CJ McCollum’s performance was too much for the depleted Sixers. Kelly Oubre was solid once again, scoring 21 points, but there wasn’t much else from the rest of the team. Ricky Council IV was the team’s fourth-leading scorer with 13 points in just 17 minutes. The Sixers fell to the Pelicans 123-115, giving New Orleans their 8th win of the season.

To conclude the week, the Sixers traveled to Orlando to face the Magic, who had recently gotten Paolo Banchero back from injury. Joel Embiid did not play, though he was listed as questionable, which was considered a small victory for the Sixers. The first half was back and forth, with Orlando holding the largest lead of 7 points. The game came down to the wire, but ultimately, clutch play from Orlando and the fact that their players didn’t foul out was the breaking point for the Sixers. Paul George fouled out for the second time in six games with just under three minutes to play. George has struggled with fouling this season, and it seems like he’s in foul trouble almost every game. He finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists, shooting 50% from the field, but his foul trouble hurt the team. Tyrese Maxey, of course, led the team in scoring with 29 points. The Magic won 104-99, officially taking the season series from the Sixers.

Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images

This week, the Sixers have four games, all against teams with winning records. On Tuesday, they’ll face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are 32-6 and currently hold the top spot in the West. Hopefully, Joel Embiid will be able to play, as he was questionable for the Orlando game. On Wednesday, the Sixers will play the New York Knicks in Philadelphia at 7:00 PM on ESPN. After a two-day rest, the Sixers will take on the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis for the first game of a back-to-back. The second leg of the back-to-back will take them to Milwaukee to face the Bucks on Sunday. With two back-to-backs this week, it’s likely that Embiid will only play in two of the games—if they’re lucky.

Buckle up, Sixers fans. We’ve been waiting for them to turn things around, but with injuries and a brutal schedule ahead, things might continue to head south.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Sixers Finish March With a 3-14 Record, as They've Officially Been Eliminated From Playoff Contention

Image
Corey Chmara To put it lightly, the Sixers are eagerly waiting for this season to come to an end, sitting at an abysmal 23-52 record. Really, the only thing keeping Sixers fans optimistic is the possibility of landing a top-six pick in the 2025 NBA Draft— if the pick lands in the top six. Regardless, there are just seven games left in the season, with only two weeks remaining. Mitchell Leff/Getty Images Philly is currently riding an eight-game losing streak, which was at just four at the start of the week. On Monday, they took on the New Orleans Pelicans, who were legitimately without everyone—no Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, and of course, Dejounte Murray. The Sixers were without Quentin Grimes, who was listed as out due to “rest.” It was a pretty rough game to play in and watch, as the Sixers fell 112-99, despite solid efforts from Jared Butler and Justin Edwards, who both scored 19 points. After a grueling six-game road trip, the Sixers finally returned...
Read more

The Sixers Pick Up Their 3rd Win This Season, Currently Sitting at a Record of 3-13

Image
Corey Chmara The Sixers picked up a win on Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets, which was the only legitimate positive from the week. The Sixers played four games this past week and finished with a record of 1-3. Last Monday, Philly faced Miami, where they got off to a strong start. They led by 19 points at one point in the second quarter, but that lead quickly shrank to just three by halftime. The Heat eventually pulled away and won 106-89. Following the game, the Sixers had a team meeting in which Tyrese Maxey told Joel Embiid he needs to stop being late "for everything" and how it impacts the entire organization, including the locker room, teammates, and coaching staff. This became a huge headline on Monday and Tuesday of last week, but it's being heavily blown out of proportion. Many players and coaches have similar conversations throughout the season, but it only becomes a big, problematic story when it involves the Sixers. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Instead of just...
Read more

Are the Sixers Finally Turning It Around?

Image
Corey Chmara This past week, the 76ers went 3-1 overall, and it looks like they finally have something positive going for them. Philadelphia currently sits at 7-15 on the season, but they’ve won four of their last five games and have Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Joel Embiid all healthy—at least, for now. On Tuesday, the Sixers took on the Charlotte Hornets and won, 110-104. The Sixers were in control for most of the game, but Charlotte kept hanging around and even took the lead with a minute and a half left. However, Tyrese Maxey scored 11 points in the final 90 seconds, helping the Sixers squeak out a win. This game marked Paul George’s best performance of the season, as he scored 29 points on 10-of-16 shooting, along with eight assists. Following the win over Charlotte, the Sixers faced the Orlando Magic at home in the second half of a back-to-back. Both Paul George and Joel Embiid were absent. While the game didn’t feature anything particularly memorable, rookie Jared McCain conti...
Read more