The Philadelphia 76ers wrapped up their road trip on Wednesday night in a matchup against MVP candidate Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Seth Curry and squad came out of the gate, firing, opening up a sizable lead early on, and held it until going into the second half. Curry’s 17 first-half points contributed to what was once a 16 point lead for the Sixers, the largest deficit for Golden State this season.
The Sixers’ lead wasn’t meant to last, however, as the Warriors came back fiercely in the third quarter before completely dominating in the fourth. While Philadelphia put up a respectable effort, it just wasn’t enough, and the team finished their road trip with a 2-4 record.
The Drummond Dilemma
Andre Drummond has been a successful signing so far. He has performed above and beyond and is one of the best value deals in the entire league. However, he also has a laundry list of shortcomings in the modern-day NBA.
He’s slow-footed, stiff, and has virtually no offensive game, and as much as he has helped the Sixers in certain games, he was anything but helpful tonight, especially in the second half. Head Coach Doc Rivers is admittedly in a bit of a rock and a hard place without Joel Embiid, but he’ll need to find a way to limit Drummond’s minutes, especially against true playoff teams like the Warriors.
The Bench Continues to be a Strength
Arguably the most impressive part of the Sixers’ season (after Tyrese Maxey) has been the depth the team has shown. Tonight was another strong performance by Philadelphia’s bench, putting up 36 points. Despite the man injuries/illnesses that have plagued the team, this roster continues to find bench support.
When Embiid and Harris do return, that will only be even more certain, and the Sixers will return to being one of the top teams in the entire league like they were near the beginning of the year.
The Sixers will return to action in Philadelphia on Saturday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves and word has it Joel Embiid will make his much-anticipated return. Tip-off is at 6:00 PM EST and you can watch the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia
