The Sixers, looking to turn things around after a brutal two-game losing streak, took on the rising New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night. However, several key players, including Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, were still left out of the game, and the 103-95 loss made matters worse. Worst quarter of the season
There’s no question that the first quarter of this game was the worst 12 minutes the Sixers have played all season. Their crimes were simply terrible. Their defense may be just as bad.
The Sixers scored just 15 points in the first quarter on 6-25 from the field and 1-11 from beyond the arc. They made some mistakes and mental mistakes, but they should be easily avoidable. The Sixers always go to great lengths to achieve anything resembling ability on the offensive end, often having to go on brutal looks to beat the shot clock, making every possession a nightmare. I could feel it. The Pelicans, on the other hand, made field goals in the quarter, going 14-for-20 for 36 points and making 5 of 9 3-pointers. It looked like every time the Sixers made a mistake and the Pelicans grabbed a defensive rebound, they immediately went into transition and found an open shooter to score another 3 points. In addition to his fierce 3-point shooting, the Pelicans offense featured Zion Williamson, who used his physical strength to get past Sixers defenders and get to the rim at will. The Sixers tried to protect him with Tobias Harris, but Harris was completely outclassed. It was an absolute blast on both sides of the ball…and things got even worse. If the Sixers wanted to have a chance of being competitive in this game, they needed to make a haymaker in the second quarter. Instead, they threw in the towel. It was about the same. Their offense was terrible and their defense lackluster. The Pelicans led by 35 points midway through the second quarter. They ended the half up 64-34. Yes, the Sixers only scored 34 points in the entire first half of the basketball game. The halftime score perfectly illustrated how dire this game was for the Sixers. Tobias Harris shot 2-7 from the field and 0-3 from behind the arc. Buddy Hield and Kyle Lowry were a combined 0-8 from the field and 0-6 from 3-point range. Paul Reed was just 4-10 from the field. Each player in the Pelicans’ frontcourt grabbed seven rebounds. Reed led the Sixers with 10 points. The Pelicans had four players score in double figures. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse did the best he could in the absence of Embiid, Maxey, De’Anthony Melton, Nic Batum and Robert Covington. Mo Bamba returns to the starting lineup. He was quickly dominated defensively. Kelly Oubre Jr. also returned to the starting five. Its effectiveness was low. Two-way guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. was inserted into the rotation after impressing Wednesday night. He didn’t do anything of note on either end of the floor. Nurse gave Ricky Council IV a chance to energize the Sixers. He only contributed to the offensive line’s continued struggles.
A fleeting ray of hope comes and goes
After all the talk about how disastrous his second quarter was in the Sixers’ first, it’s worth mentioning that they started playing very good basketball for a short period of time in the third quarter. The lead was briefly cut to 16 points in the third quarter, but then the Pelicans scored another point. And immediately the temporarily revitalized crowd fell silent again. By the time the Sixers clinched the lead late in the fourth quarter, the game appeared to be out of reach.
…and the Sixers charged again. The lead was cut to 5 points. He didn’t do enough to win the match, but it was more than enough to restore his hope. They performed an outrageous closing number in front of an audience that didn’t deserve to make such a fuss.
Sixers’ condition: Not so good!
After losing a two-point lead in the fourth quarter, it seems cruel for the team to not play most of the game at all despite their injury struggles. Every time the Sixers have a passing game that looks noticeably worse than their opponents, they’re making life even harder going forward. Even if Embiid returns, the Sixers will likely qualify for the NBA play-in tournament, and one or two bad performances could send the team home for good. The Orlando Magic and Miami Heat are currently playing some great basketball. The New York Knicks, like the Sixers, probably managed to survive despite having injuries. The Milwaukee Bucks are finally coming to terms with the situation, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are continuing to move forward. And then there’s the Sixers, who are in freefall. It is difficult to place responsibility on any particular group. Nurses are just one part of the team. Almost every struggling player except for Harris has been asked to do far more than expected, but Harris has been absolutely brutal in every role the Sixers have asked him to do for nearly a month. I can’t help but get nervous thinking about what will happen to the Sixers as a whole. But the harsh reality is that this struggle will greatly handicap the team even if it eventually reaches full health. To be honest, there’s not much to be optimistic about at the moment. The Sixers have no choice but to look to each other to turn things around. They have to do it fast.
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