Andre Drummond has to sustain quick starts in games.
The 76ers, however, bucked the recent trend of losing on nights when Joel Embiid is not playing.
And in the process, they’re in the midst of their best stretch since concluding the 2023-24 season with nine consecutive victories.
Those things stood out in Tuesday’s 113-94 victory over the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
The Sixers (29-21) are a half-game behind the fourth-place Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference standings.
Drummond must sustain his shooting
Drummond got his 18th start of the season due to Embiid not being cleared to play on back-to-back nights. Drummond finished with a game-high 11 rebounds to go with 12 points for his 12th double-double of the season.
On paper, his stat line looked good. He made 5 of 11 shots, including 1 of 2 on three-pointers, to go with one assist, one steal, and one block.
But he’ll have to be a more consistent shooter to gain the coaching staff’s trust as a reliable reserve when Embiid plays.
Drummond was unable to build off his solid shooting start to the game.
He had four points on 2-for-2 shooting and five rebounds in the first five minutes. He scored those baskets on a put-back dunk and a tip-in. However, Drummond missed his next six attempts.
He missed a reverse layup and had a driving dunk blocked before being subbed out for Adem Bona with 2 minutes, 15 seconds remaining in the first quarter. He followed that up by missing a 23-foot three-pointer and a put-back layup in the second quarter.
His rough shooting night continued in the third quarter, when he missed an eight-foot turnaround jumper and an alley-oop.
Drummond snapped out of his shooting skid, scoring on two layups in the fourth quarter. The majority of his misses came on shots around the basket.
Drummond’s offensive shortcomings could be one reason sources say the Sixers are open to trading him, even though he is their leading rebounder.
While he struggled from the field, Bona had 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting.
All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey (14 points on 3-for-9 shooting), Dominick Barlow (10 points, 3-for-10), and Kelly Oubre Jr. (15 points, 4-for-12) all struggled from the field.
But VJ Edgecombe paced them with 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, and the Sixers got quality contributions from their bench.
They also benefited from the undermanned Warriors (27-24), who were without Stephen Curry, committing 20 turnovers.
Needed win without Embiid
Before Tuesday, the Sixers had lost four straight games when Embiid didn’t play. Teams were blitzing Maxey, and role players weren’t stepping up. They didn’t have that problem against the Warriors.
Trendon Watford had 16 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks in a reserve role. The Sixers had eight scorers in double digits.
This victory serves as a major confidence boost for a team dealing with Paul George’s 25-game suspension.
Extending overall winning streak
The Sixers have the league’s second-best active winning streak at five games. The Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks are tied for the best with seven consecutive victories.
They opened the season with four consecutive victories before winning three straight games from Dec. 30 to Jan. 3.
But this time, the Sixers appear to be coming into form, getting major contributions from several players.
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