The Sixers had come into tonight’s game on a 15 game win-streak against the New York Knicks. Sadly, they couldn’t keep the streak alive.
Nearly from the jump, the Sixers looked outmatched tonight, not because of their opponent’s talent but because they just didn’t bring the energy. The Sixers looked exhausted, especially in the second quarter, as they were outscored by 23 points during the quarter.
Joel Embiid, in particular, was so gassed he looked like he had gone twelve rounds with Bernard Hopkins. The Sixers’ star looked anything but himself, finishing with fourteen points, six rebounds, and five turnovers in the loss. It wasn’t all Embiid’s fault, of course.
The entire roster was a disappointment short of Danny Green, Georges Niang, and of course, Tobias Harris. Even Seth Curry and Furkan Korkmaz, who were both off to hot starts to the season, looked lost, combining for 5/18 from the field.
It wasn’t a pretty loss. There was no moral victory or silver lining save for the fact that this was one game out of eighty-two. That’s not to say fans should be nothing but negative. The temptation is to overreact, and it didn’t take long for those overreactions to come out.
While this team has obvious shortcomings, it’s early in the season; far too early for kneejerk reactions. This team will play better. Whether it’s Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Seth Curry, or any of the other Sixers who struggled tonight, it’s just one game, and the team will rebound.
