Sixers Conclude Six-Game Road Trip with 4-2 Record, Building Momentum and Improving Play

The 76ers finish December with a 9-3 record as they look to stay hot in January

Corey Chmara

This past week, the 76ers played four games, finishing with a 2-2 record. On Monday, the Sixers faced the Blazers in Portland and secured a 125-103 victory. Joel Embiid led the way with 37 points and 9 rebounds, while Tyrese Maxey added 23 points on 54% shooting from the field. There wasn’t much to analyze in this game, as Portland was missing Jerami Grant, and the Sixers controlled the contest from start to finish. Guerschon Yabusele had an impressive outing, contributing 16 points off the bench.

After the win in Portland, the Sixers traveled to Sacramento for the first leg of a back-to-back series on Wednesday, with Joel Embiid sitting out. This turned out to be one of the most frustrating losses of the season. The Sixers built a 14-point lead in the first half, but as the period wound down, they became careless with the basketball. With just 3:30 left in the game, the Sixers held a 107-98 lead, but the Kings went on a 15-0 run to close out the game, winning 113-107 and snapping the Sixers’ four-game win streak. Paul George had a solid performance on paper, scoring 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting, with 8 rebounds and 5 assists. However, he failed to score in the fourth quarter and fouled out, which was inexcusable given the game’s tightness. George was brought in this past offseason to provide a late-game presence, especially when Embiid isn’t playing, but he hasn’t delivered on that front so far this season.

Randall Benton/AP Photo

Following the loss to Sacramento, the Sixers faced the Golden State Warriors in the second half of the back-to-back. Joel Embiid played, but the rest of the team failed to show up. The game was essentially over by the end of the first quarter, with the Sixers trailing 35-19. They would go on to lose 139-105, as the Warriors shot an impressive 56.4% from three-point range. However, the primary issue was the Sixers’ lack of effort: poor transition defense, failing to contest shots, and careless ball-handling. While the responsibility falls on head coach Nick Nurse, the players must also take accountability, especially since the Sixers have one of the oldest rosters in the league.

On Sunday, the Sixers flew back east to face the Brooklyn Nets, who were without their top two players, Cameron Johnson and Cam Thomas. The Nets got off to a strong start, jumping out to an 11-0 lead in the first few minutes. However, the Sixers responded with a 24-6 run of their own. Slow starts have been a recurring theme for the Sixers this season, but in this game, they were able to recover quickly due to Brooklyn’s depleted roster. The Sixers maintained control throughout, finishing with a dominant 123-94 win. Rookie Justin Edwards, who has seen increased playing time with Kelly Oubre sidelined, made the most of his opportunity. Edwards scored 11 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in 22 minutes, looking like he could earn a regular spot in the rotation.

I’m still waiting for Nick Nurse to find some consistency with his lineups, though I understand it’s difficult given the team’s injury issues. For instance, some games Reggie Jackson plays over 20 minutes, while in others, his minutes are cut short, and Jeff Dowtin Jr. gets more time on the floor.

Alex Goodlett/Getty

Looking ahead, the Sixers have three of their next four games at home, where they’re currently 5-9 on the season. They start the week on Monday against the Phoenix Suns on NBA TV. On Wednesday, the Washington Wizards (currently 6-27) come to town, followed by the New Orleans Pelicans (7-29) on Friday night. These three games should be wins, and there’s no reason the Sixers shouldn’t take care of business. After the homestand, they close the week on the road against the Orlando Magic, who are expected to have Paolo Banchero back for that game.

The Sixers finished December with a 9-3 record, and they’ll need to carry that momentum into January if they want to continue improving. We’ll see how they fare this week, but I would expect, and hope, that they finish with at least a 3-1 record.

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