PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Philadelphia 76ers came into Wednesday night’s matchup against the Houston Rockets with few expecting the game to be competitive. The Sixers would be without stars Joel Embiid and Paul George once again, in addition to starter Caleb Martin and key reserve Kyle Lowry.
Despite this, for one of the handful of games this season, the Sixers came into the night and fought for over 48 minutes as a unit.
The first quarter began as a challenge, which is not unusual, as the Sixers shot just 42.3% from the field and 16.7% from three. The team allowed Rockets guard Jalen Green to simply get whatever shot he wanted, allowing the electric guard 18 first-quarter points.
Despite an 11-point first-half hole, Philadelphia fought back relentlessly with the help of KJ Martin and Ricky Council IV. The athleticism of both players was exactly what the Sixers needed to be injected into their veins. Council, in particular, enjoyed his best game of the season, which was a welcome sign after a disappointing start to the year.
Philadelphia would shut down the perimeter for Houston, refusing to allow a single completed shot from distance in eight attempts.
Houston would find their offensive footing in the third, but the Sixers would keep pace, keeping the game within six for the final quarter, where Tyrese Maxey would truly find his spark.
Scoring 17 points in the fourth, including the most clutch free throws the Sixers have seen this season, Maxey forced the Rockets to their second overtime appearance in as many days. A quick Yabusele three would rock the arena as fans found their voice thanks to the effort the Sixers put in on the court, but their energy would falter from there.
Philadelphia ultimately ran out of gas against a team playing on the second night of an overtime back-to-back, allowing the Rockets to pull away by a final score of 122-113.
Up next for the Sixers
Philadelphia will have two days of rest before heading out to Detroit to face the Pistons. A hip injury held Tobias Harris out of Wednesday’s matchup against the Grizzlies, which could linger into Saturday. It won’t just be Detroit with wounded, however, as there is little guarantee that Joel Embiid and Paul George will even make the trip. Then there’s the absence of Caleb Martin and Kyle Lowry.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., and you can catch the game as always on NBC Sports Philadelphia or listen live at 97.5 FM the Fanatic.
