The Philadelphia 76ers came limping into tonight’s game against the Western Conference’s best team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Sixers had only nine players available and none of them included their three stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George. George warmed up about 45 minutes before the game and looked good to go but it was announced after that he would not be in the lineup. The starting lineup consisted of Reggie Jackson, Kelly Oubre Jr., Ricky Council, Eric Gordon, and Guershon Yabusele.
The Thunder came into tonight’s contest winners of 12 of their last 13, with their only loss in that stretch to the NBA’s best Cleveland Cavaliers. They have the early favorite for MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and boast the NBA’s best defense. They looked to continue their winning ways in Philly against a shorthanded Sixers.
Game Recap
This game started out just how you would expect with the starting lineup the Sixers rolled out on the court. It was close for the first couple of minutes and the Thunder did what they do every night, suffocate their opponents on defense give SGA the move, and move out of the way. The home team struggled to score and the Thunder had more made buckets than the Sixers had points early on. It was so quiet in the Wells Fargo Center that you could hear an Eagles chant within the first few minutes. The first quarter ended with a 37-21 lead for the away team.
The second quarter started and the Sixers showed some fight with a lineup consisting of mostly two-way players. They played much better defense and the offense was humming much better with extra passes to the open man. They pulled the game as close as 8 eight points while Gilgeous-Alexander was on the bench. Once he returned, OKC returned to form and the lead crept back up to a high 15-point halftime lead.
After the Thunder extended their lead to 19 points, two minutes into the third quarter, Nick Nurse called a timeout to try to rally the troops. After that timeout, the team fought back against the Thunder with terrific effort from Jeff Dowtin Jr, Justin Edwards, Ricky Council, and Guershon Yabusele. They outscored the Thunder 38-29 in the third and the last-minute sequence to end the quarter sent the stadium into a frenzy, cutting the lead to six points.
The fourth quarter started with a Sixers scoring frenzy, forcing turnovers and knocking down their three-point shots. They cut the lead to four points early in the quarter giving the fans something to cheer for after a quiet first half. After a timeout, the Sixers cooled off the Thunder regained firm control of the game and closed out the shorthanded Sixers and their excellent effort. In the end, the Thunder won 118-102, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 32 points and dishing 9 assists. The Sixers were paced by Justin Edwards and his 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Hometown buckets
With the hospital Sixers on the court tonight, it gave the young two-way guys opportunities to get real NBA minutes. Justin Edwards, pride of Imhotep Charter High School in Philadelphia. His one-and-done season at Kentucky didn’t go well and he went undrafted. He signed a two-way with Philly and has been a force for the Delaware Blue Coats.
With an opportunity tonight, he took full advantage of his minutes. He was aggressive in the flow of the offensive and showed a little on little on-ball juice. He took on the responsibility of guarding the Thunder’s two stars SGA and Jalen Williams. They hit tough shots on him but he took on the challenge. He ended the night with a career-high 24 points while playing 34 minutes.
Help needed!
The injuries have done this team in to start the season and that continued tonight against OKC but every night it is clear that this team needs an infusion of scoring and ball handling from someone under the age of 30. With Tyrese Maxey out and veteran Kyle Lowry out, Reggie Jackson got the start. He mustered 4 points, 4 assists, and 5 turnovers in 17 minutes of action.
They have one final roster spot and they had to resign Pete Nance to their third two-way contract due to the extended absences of Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond. Daryl Morey and Elton Brand need to prioritize bringing another guard in who has some athleticism and can create for himself. Lonnie Walker IV is out there and Dennis Smith was available until he reportedly signed with Real Madrid. There could also be trade options out there but something needs to happen before prior to the deadline.
Sixers barely above water
After starting 3-14, the Sixers have fallen to eight games under the .500 mark and going backward after a really good December. Injuries, inconsistent lineups, and questionable coaching have led the Sixers to this point. Some nights they hustle and play with energy and other nights they don’t. Tonight they played with energy and that’s what made it closer than expected early in the fourth. They need that type of effort from their stars and others every time they play going forward. They put themselves in a hole and it’s going to be extremely hard to climb out and into sort of playoff picture.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
