Sixers Grab a Win, But Their Lost Season Rolls On at 23-44

Corey Chmara

Another week goes by as the Sixers patiently wait for this dreadful season to come to an end. Players such as Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, Eric Gordon, Andre Drummond, Kelly Oubre Jr., Lonnie Walker IV, Adem Bona, and, of course, Jared McCain all missed games this week. Some have already been ruled out for the season, while others will likely remain sidelined as the final 15 games drag on.

On Monday, the Sixers faced the Atlanta Hawks in Atlanta. The Hawks were without both Trae Young and Caris LeVert, while the Sixers were missing their "Big 3," along with Drummond, Oubre, and several other key players. The game remained competitive for much of the first half, but the Hawks pulled away in the third quarter, extending their lead to 17 and never looking back.

Paras Griffin/Getty Images

One of the few bright spots—not just in this game but over the past month—has been the play of Quentin Grimes and Lonnie Walker IV (who is now sidelined with a concussion). Grimes put up an impressive 35 points against the Hawks, along with 7 rebounds and 5 assists. In 16 games with the Sixers, he’s averaged 19.9 points per game. Walker IV added 11 points in this matchup, and while his numbers weren’t eye-popping, it’s been great to see him back in the NBA playing for his hometown team. The Sixers hung around but ultimately fell, 132-123.

After a day of rest, the Sixers traveled across the border to take on the Toronto Raptors—another team with a similar record. While the Sixers have been severely shorthanded all season, the Raptors were in a similar situation for this game, missing key players like Scottie Barnes, Chris Boucher, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick, Keyonte Walter, and Ochai Agbaji. The Sixers’ lineup featured Grimes, Oubre, and Justin Edwards as their primary active players. Grimes dropped 29 points, while Jeff Dowtin Jr. added 20, but it wasn’t enough. The Raptors took the win, 118-105.

At this point, the Sixers are realistically playing for their top-six protected first-round pick, and with no shot at the playoffs, I honestly don’t mind seeing them stack up losses.

On Friday, the Sixers returned to the Wells Fargo Center, where they currently hold a dismal 12-22 home record. Both Grimes and Oubre were out, yet the team surprisingly got off to a hot start, leading by as many as 16 points in the first half. But, in typical fashion, Indiana erased the lead with ease, cutting it to just four by halftime. The Pacers carried that momentum into the second half, taking the lead by the end of the third and pulling away in the fourth. Indiana secured the 112-100 victory. Jeff Dowtin Jr. was one of the only bright spots, finishing with 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in an exhausting 40 (yes, 40) minutes of play.

The Sixers wrapped up another painful week in Dallas against a Mavericks team that was also missing several key players. Philly got huge contributions from Quentin Grimes—making his return to Dallas—and Jalen Hood-Schifino. Grimes led the way with 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting, once again serving as the focal point of the Sixers' offense. Hood-Schifino stepped up in crunch time, scoring 19 points, including clutch free throws down the stretch. In a rare turn of events, the Sixers actually closed out the game, securing a 130-125 victory over a Dallas squad that still had solid contributors like P.J. Washington Jr., Klay Thompson, and Spencer Dinwiddie in the lineup.

Glenn James/Getty Images

As the season winds down, while it’s tough to root for your team to lose, the Sixers should be prioritizing their top-six protected first-round pick. With a season this disastrous, the draft is a critical opportunity, and maximizing their position starts with losing most of the remaining 15 games.

Looking ahead, the Sixers have four road games this week. On Monday, they’ll face the 43-25 Houston Rockets. On Wednesday, they take on the 56-12 Oklahoma City Thunder, who might very well win by 50. On Friday, they’ll battle the Spurs, who lost both Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox for the season due to injury. Finally, on Sunday, the Sixers will face the Atlanta Hawks, who remain in contention for both the playoffs and the play-in tournament.


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