The Sixers (26-21) can’t brush this off as just an isolated incident. Over the last 11 games, they’ve ranked last in the league in rebounding at 39.5 per game.
So what is the biggest issue? Effort? Or being undersized?
The Sixers went with a starting lineup centered on Joel Embiid and four perimeter players in four of their last five games, with Kelly Oubre Jr., Paul George, VJ Edgecombe, and Tyrese Maxey alongside the big man.
Embiid is a towering center at 7-foot-2. Oubre and George are both 6-8 forwards who have played shooting guard in previous seasons. Edgecombe is a 6-5 shooting guard, while Maxey, an All-Star starter, is a 6-2 point guard.
The Sixers only have two other rotation players — reserve center Andre Drummond (6-11) and reserve power forward Dominick Barlow (6-9) — taller than Oubre and George.
Sixers forward Paul George (left) and Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe double team Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis during the third quarter on Thursday.
“Well, I think that it’s a few things,” coach Nick Nurse said of the rebounding issue. “Sometimes it’s size and athleticism, whether it’s playing against bigger guys, more athletic, stronger, or whatever. Sometimes it’s just not paying attention to details and getting a body on people.
“And sometimes, I think it’s defense in general. You give a few [rebounds] and the blood’s in the water. Those guys just seem to get cracked up after they get a couple. And they’re just like, ‘Man, this is an easy way to live tonight. I’m going to really focus on that.’”
When that happens, the Sixers must put in more effort, and Nurse must devise a strategy to secure more rebounds.
Against a player like Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis, who is a rebounding machine, the Sixers assigned two players to try to slow him down.
“Those guys were blocking him out in front of them,” Nurse said. “The balls were coming over the head, and got to be somebody else’s.”
The Sixers might also benefit from giving Drummond more playing time.
Despite averaging 8.7 rebounds in 19.6 minutes and leading the Sixers in the category, Drummond didn’t enter Thursday’s game until the start of the fourth quarter. At that point, the Kings (12-37) had a commanding 37-18 rebounding advantage.
Drummond did not play in six of the previous nine games. The Sixers felt 6-8center Adem Bona, an undersized but athletic rim protector, was better suited to back up Embiid in those games.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse looks to solve his team’s rebounding issue.
But due to the growing rebounding disparity, Nurse said he might look at Drummond coming off the bench more moving forward.
“I think that the smaller lineup that we are playing is obviously something to look at as well,” Nurse said. “I think Drummond with big, really big centers like that. [The Kings] played big all night, but they’re also pretty physical. All four of their bigs that they play are physical. And I think that probably called for a Joel, Bona lineup or Drummond, [Jabari] Walker. Just maybe different than what we did [Thursday] because it was difficult to rebound.”
Honoring the 2000-01 team
The Sixers will look to extend their home winning streak to three games on Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans. The game will also be recognized as the 25th anniversary reunion game, celebrating the 2000-01 Eastern Conference championship team.
Members of the team, which lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, will be on hand for several celebrations in their honor.
Sixers star Allen Iverson led his team to the NBA Finals in the 2000-01 season.
“It’ll be great,” George said of the festivities. “Obviously, it’s a tradition here. Being a part of the Sixers family, organization, that group means a lot to the city. It’ll be awesome to kind of share the space, the moment, and play in front of them. We want to represent them the same way that they represented the city.”
The 76ers have made at least one move at five consecutive NBA trade deadlines since Daryl Morey took over as president of basketball operations in 2020.
Many of those moves slashed salaries, enabling the Sixers to avoid paying the luxury tax. However, the new acquisitions didn’t make the team’s playoff chances any better.
The Sixers are expected to continue their trend of making moves ahead of this season’s 3 p.m. deadline on Feb. 5. Here are five reasons the Sixers should be cautious at the deadline:
The Sixers could avoid the luxury tax by trading Kelly Oubre Jr. ahead of the Feb.5 NBA trade deadline. However, he’s their best perimeter defender.
A bad look for the franchise
The Sixers are $7 million above the allowable threshold to avoid being taxed. They’re also around $1 million away from being a first-apron team and facing penalties.
Quentin Grimes ($8.7 million), Kelly Oubre Jr. ($8.3 million), and Andre Drummond ($5 million) have expiring contracts that could help avoid paying the threshold tax.
But trading a key contributor for the sake of avoiding being taxed would be a bad look for the franchise. It would give the impression that saving money for Sixers managing partner Josh Harris is more important than contending for a title. The team would come off looking cheap, especially considering that the Joel Embiid championship window is closing quickly.
Aside from Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe (77), the Sixers don’t have the assets to bring in the type of player who could drastically improve the team.
Not enough assets
The Sixers don’t have much to give up to upgrade talent via a trade. Aside from Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, the Sixers don’t have the assets to acquire the type of player who could drastically improve the team. And they’re not trading either of those guys. Nor should they forfeit their future by surrendering future draft picks to help facilitate a trade. The Sixers will need those picks to acquire young talent and continue building around Maxey and Edgecombe after Embiid and Paul George leave.
Joel Embiid (21) and Paul George (8) are once again healthy. As a result, the Sixers can beat anyone in the Eastern Conference when the team plays well.
A dangerous team
The Sixers are dangerous as currently constructed. When they play well, they can beat anyone in the East. They’ve won two of their three meetings against the conference’s second-place New York Knicks. The Sixers have done the same against the third-place Boston Celtics, and split the four-game series against the fourth-place Toronto Raptors. They’re 0-2 against the first-place Detroit Pistons. However, the Sixers were without Embiid and George in both games. And they still had opportunities to win before blowing fourth-quarter leads both times. So if they remain healthy, the Sixers are a team no one wants to face in the postseason.
Forward Trendon Watford is one of many role players who have learned to mesh well with the Sixers’ Big Three of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George.
Losing chemistry
If you bring in someone new, he’ll have to learn to play with Embiid. The current players spent half the season learning how to play with Embiid, Maxey, and George. And based on the Sixers’ early struggles with their Big Three intact, there’s clearly a learning curve to playing alongside Embiid, Maxey, and George.
Players like Oubre, Grimes, Drummond, Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker, Adem Bona, Jared McCain, and Trendon Watford have established roles. Tinkering with that could negatively impact the team, especially if the Sixers are not acquiring a major upgrade in talent.
League sources say the Sixers are open to trading Andre Drummond.
Insurance for Embiid
With Drummond and Bona backing up Embiid, who is back to playing at a high level, the center position is set. However, league sources say the Sixers are open to trading Drummond, even though he and Bona have been equally valuable assets, playing behind and often in place of Embiid, who misses games because of knee injury management.
Bona plays against the teams that have fast and athletic centers, while Drummond usually plays against towering centers who flourish in the post.
The 6-foot-11 Drummond averages a team-leading 8.9 rebounds while playing just 20 minutes per game. Drummond is second in the NBA in rebounds per 36 minutes at 16.0, trailing the Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson (16.9). And he has started 17 of the games Embiid has missed, averaging 8.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in those contests.
What type of player would help them with the NBA trade deadline 10 days away?
At the guard spot, where the duo of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe is regarded as one of the NBA’s best young backcourts, they’re pretty good. And that doesn’t account for the depth that Quentin Grimes provides off the bench.
With Andre Drummond and Adem Bona backing up Joel Embiid, who’s playing at a high level, the center position is pretty good, too.
At forward, Dominick Barlow is playing well. And the Sixers get stellar play out of the duo of Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr.
I’m not sure what they need.
Some will argue that the Sixers (24-20) don’t have a true point guard. But they have a lot of guards who can handle the ball. And you can add Oubre and George, who were guards in the previous season, to that mix.
If the Sixers remain healthy, they’re a deep team.
But based on their recent history of trading to get under the luxury-tax threshold, there’s an expectation that they’ll make at least one trade ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline.
Guard Quentin Grimes Grimes has a no-trade clause, giving him full veto power over any trade the Sixers attempt to make involving him.
The Sixers are $7 million above the allowable threshold to avoid being taxed. They’re also around $1 million away from being a first-apron team and facing penalties.
But this season is different from the recent ones heading into the trade deadline. Whether it’s fool’s gold or not, the Sixers see that they have a chance.
Embiid, the 2023 MVP, is returning to his All-NBA level, averaging 33.3 points, 10 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, while shooting 58.3% from three-point range in his last four games. George is regaining his rhythm while playing the role of a facilitator and defender who occasionally takes over scoring for stretches. Maxey is the league’s third-leading scorer (29.9 points per game) and an All-Star starter. And Edgecombe has been better than expected as a rookie.
So this season is definitely different. In 2023-24, the Sixers’ hopes were dashed heading into the trade deadline because Embiid suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee. And last season, they were 20-30 and on their way to full-blown tanking.
The Sixers probably think that when they’re at their best, they could beat anyone else in the East.
However, sources around the league say the team is willing to part ways with Drummond.
At first glance, it’s hard to imagine that the financial aspect will play a role at the trade deadline unless it’s someone like Eric Gordon. The reserve guard has played in only six games, with his last appearance coming Dec. 23 against the Brooklyn Nets.
The 37-year-old, in his 18th season, signed a one-year, $3.63 million contract on July 1 after declining his $3.47 million player option. Gordon’s deal created a $2.3 million cap and a $2.3 million dead cap value, which is considered a good, low-risk expiring salary for potential trades.
Maybe the Sixers could entice the Nets or the Utah Jazz, teams with a lot of cap space, with a second-round pick just to take on Gordon’s contract for the remainder of the season. However, he’s Edgecombe’s mentor, and there’s a sense the Sixers may keep him because of that.
Meanwhile, Oubre ($8.3 million), Grimes ($8.7M), and Drummond ($5M) also have expiring contracts.
The Sixers have gotten the most out of two-way players Jabari Walker (left) and Dominick Barlow.
Grimes has a no-trade clause, giving him full veto power over any trade the Sixers attempt to make involving him. Yet some around the league are wondering if the Sixers are willing to part ways with Oubre, whose name keeps coming up as a possible trade chip. But by getting rid of Drummond, the Sixers would be in the market for another backup center.
Maybe, they’ll give former Sixer Charles Bassey a look after he signs his 10-day contract. However, it appears that his signing is more to help facilitate Barlow and Jabari Walker getting extended time on their two-way contracts. Bassey was scheduled to sign his deal Sunday night. He needed to do so ahead of Monday’s 3 p.m. game against the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center in order for Barlow and Walker to play.
But Drummond and Bona have been equally great assets, playing behind and often in place of Embiid. Bona plays against the teams that have fast and athletic centers, while Drummond usually plays against towering centers with a post presence.
The 6-foot-11, 279-pounder averages a team-leading 9 rebounds while playing just 20 minutes per game. Drummond is second in the NBA in rebounds per 36 minutes at 16.1, trailing the Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson (16.9).
Kelly Oubre Jr. of the Sixers guarding the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson on Saturday.
He’s also averaging 7.1 points while playing in 35 games with 16 starts this season. With his contract, there’s a market for Drummond. Teams in need of a backup center would like to acquire him.
But coach Nick Nurse didn’t play him in Saturday’s loss to the Knicks despite his squad being outrebounded by 53-38 and having a 26-4 disadvantage in second-chance points. This came after Drummond had 14 points and 13 rebounds in his lone game against the Knicks this season.
Perhaps Nurse felt the Knicks, who favored a small-ball lineup, were a bad matchup for Drummond. But his not playing was a big omission and a conversation piece.
It’s hard to imagine Sixers co-managing partner Josh Harris, who knows the window is closing, would forfeit the opportunity to finally win an NBA championship to get rid of key pieces just to save money. I wouldn’t blame Harris if he could stay under the first apron and get below the luxury-tax threshold if it was manipulated by a fringe player or someone out of the rotation.
But if it were Oubre, Grimes, or Drummond, players vital to their success, it would be a bad look.
Nor should they trade Jared McCain, who recently dropped out of the rotation. Even though the second-year guard is struggling, he’s insurance for Grimes, whom the Sixers could lose this summer in free agency. And the Sixers should only trade Grimes if they were getting back an upgrade in talent. It doesn’t make any sense to part ways with him in return for a same-level player.
But the Sixers do have three players on two-way contracts in Barlow, Walker, and MarJon Beauchamp.
Beauchamp has yet to be active in an NBA game since signing his Sixers deal on Dec. 26. However, power forwards Barlow and Walker have been with the Sixers all season. And all three players’ time would have expired following Saturday’s 112-109 loss to the New York Knicks if the Sixers didn’t make a roster move.
Bassey must sign his contract before Monday’s game for Barlow and Walker to be available to play.
Both of them have played well this season, but Walker could be replaceable now that the Sixers have their full complement of players.
Paul George has assumed an important role for the Sixers after a lost season.
Barlow has come off the bench in the last two games as the team moved George to power forward and started Oubre at small forward. Walker did not play in either game as Trendon Watford received the other power-forward minutes in the rotation.
So it wouldn’t be surprising if we find out the Sixers aren’t committed to converting both players to standard deals, as they’re making decisions based on the salary cap and who’s helping the team. Things will work themselves out, as the squad has cap experts who handle such matters.
But this roster, as it stands, is the best one Nurse has coached during his tenure.
The Sixers have been in a lot of games that came down to the wire — some they won, others they lost. They could easily be seven games over .500 instead of four. And they’re just starting to consistently play games with their Big Three of Maxey, Embiid, and George.
So the Sixers’ biggest need is time, not an addition before the trade deadline.
If the Sixers are wise, the answer is at least through the end of the season.
The 30-year-old swingman’s contract expires at the end of June. However, his name has been repeatedly mentioned in recent trade reports. And that could continue ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline as teams look to upgrade rosters and slash salaries.
But at this point, the Sixers will be hard-pressed to find someone able to do what Oubre provides.
The squad is starting to show glimpses of why it has received Eastern Conference championship-contender hype. And Oubre’s ability to adjust to his ever-changing role is a reason for that.
Before that tilt, they defeated the Houston Rockets, 128-122, in overtime Thursday night at home. Oubre played a significant role in the victory, finishing with 26 points on 10-for-14 shooting along with four rebounds, three assists, and one block while starting alongside Paul George, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, and Tyrese Maxey.
It was the first time the Sixers employed that starting lineup.
Coach Nick Nurse said before Sunday’s game that they would stay with it for a while. And had another solid performance, finishing with 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting, along with seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
His remaining as a starter is understandable, given that it was a lineup they were expected to unveil at the beginning of the season. But George missed the first 12 games with left knee injury management. Then Oubre was sidelined 22 games from Nov. 17 to Jan. 5. While those two were injured, power forward Dominick Barlow proved to be a solid fifth starter.
But Oubre is a more experienced, more versatile player, and has been noted several times before as the team’s X factor. His ability to play shooting guard, small forward, and small-ball power forward gives the Sixers a variety of rotation options.
Sixers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. has been noted several times before as the team’s X factor.
While he starts at small forward, Oubre moves to shooting guard in a lineup that features George, Barlow, Embiid, and Maxey when Edgecombe is out of the game. And in his first game back from a sprained left knee ligament on Jan. 7, he played power forward in a small-ball lineup with Maxey, Quentin Grimes, Jared McCain, and Adem Bona.
“He plays both ends, right?” Nurse said of his impact as a versatile player. “I think that’s the main thing. He’s been pretty effective on both ends, and the other probably main thing is he’s in about his 10th year. He’s got a lot of stuff under his belt. A lot of minutes. A lot of games, too. That helps, too. ”
All-Star cornerstones, Embiid, Maxey, and George, along with rookie-of-the-year candidate Edgecombe, have deservedly received a lot of credit for the team’s being viewed as a contender.
Embiid had scored at least 30 points in four consecutive games. While the 7-2 center is not where he once was defensively, he’s showing glimpses of being a 2023 MVP and seven-time All-Star. Embiid is averaging 33.3 points, 10 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 0.7 blocks while shooting 58.3% on three-pointers in those games.
Meanwhile, Maxey, who was named an All-Star starter on Monday, is averaging a league-third-best 29.9 points, a second-best 2.1 steals, and 12th-best 6.8 rebounds this season. He was also fourth (147) in made three-pointers.
George’s average of 15.4 points is below his career average of 20.5 points. But the nine-time All-Star has thrived at times as a facilitator and an elite defender. And it’s not uncommon for him to provide the bulk of the scoring during third-quarter stretches.
Edgecombe is averaging 15.6 points, a league 11th-best 1.5 steals, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. The 20-year-old shooting guard’s elite potential was on full display in the Sixers’ season-opening victory over the Boston Celtics.
That night, he scored 34 points to help lead the Sixers to victory. It was the third-highest scoring debut in NBA history behind Chamberlain’s 43 points on Oct. 24, 1959, and Frank Selvy’s 35 on Nov. 30, 1954.
Concurrently, Oubre averaged 14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and shot 38.3% on three-pointers while continuously adjusting his role depending on who was playing or who the Sixers were playing against. The one constant thing is his defending the opposing team’s best perimeter player.
Championship-caliber teams are built with players like Kelly Oubre Jr.
Nurse was asked before Saturday’s game where he thinks Oubre has improved the most as a defender.
“Listen, I think there are a couple of things, but probably at the top would be just his overall reading of situations,” Nurse said. “Just having a feel for anticipating what might happen next and getting involved in that and breaking that up. But he’s also been much better on the ball. He’s been much better in screen-and-roll. Stuff like that.”
The New Orleans native has starred in all of his roles in addition to doing countless other things that go unnoticed on a stat sheet.
As good as Embiid, George, Maxey, and Edgecombe are, championship-caliber teams are built with players like Oubre.
The only benefit of trading him at this time is perhaps shedding his salary. Oubre’s expiring $8.3 million contract would help them gain salary cap relief and avoid the luxury tax. The squad is currently more than $7 million over the luxury-tax threshold. That’s why his name has been mentioned in reports.
But, night now, they can’t afford to let him go if contending for a title this season is truly the goal.
The number of realistic available better options is slim. Even if they find a player as good, it will take the new person a while to adjust to the Sixers’ system. And Oubre’s ability to adapt is a primary reason why the team is starting to live up to expectations.
With Embiid’s extension kicking in next season and Grimes becoming an unrestricted free agent, it may make sense for Oubre and the Sixers to part ways after the season.
The way he’s been playing this season and elevated his stock during his Sixers’ three-year tenure, Oubre could become too costly to re-sign.
It may make sense for the sides to part ways after the season.
Oubre always said it was just a matter of getting back into basketball shape. And based on his recent performances, the 6-foot-8 small forward is now well-conditioned.
He had 26 points on 10-for-14 shooting — including 4 of 5 from three-point range — to go with four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and a block in Thursday’s 128-122 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Draining three-pointers and providing his trademark high energy, the 30-year-old looked like he deserved to remain in the starting lineup. More than that, Oubre looked like a key piece the Sixers need to retain beyond the trade deadline.
He’s an asset to the Sixers because he can play shooting guard, small forward, and small-ball power forward. However, his name keeps coming up as someone the Sixers could possibly move before the Feb. 5 trade deadline because his expiring $8.3 million contract would help them gain salary cap relief and avoid the luxury tax. The squad is currently more than $7 million over the luxury-tax threshold.
The Sixers could also get salary cap relief by moving the expiring contracts of Andre Drummond ($5.0 million) and Eric Gordon ($3.6 million with a dead cap hit of $2.2 million). Letting Drummond and Gordon go would be viewed as a softer blow than trading Oubre.
Sixers guard Kelly Oubre Jr., blocks Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason’s first quarter three-point shot attempt on Thursday night.
Oubre’s value stretches all over the floor. He had a sequence in the second half where he knocked the ball out of bounds twice while providing solid defense on Houston’s 6-foot-11 center Alperen Şengün. Those plays not only motivated his teammates but also electrified the sellout crowd of 19,746.
“Obviously, that’s a huge center posting you up, you have to do something to disrupt the rhythm of that and not make it easy,” Oubre said. “And I think that over there they thought it was going to be an easy post up, post me up, whatever. I just tried to be disruptive.
“Obviously, it sucks [for the Rockets] because they were all looking depleted every time they tried to throw it in, and it wasn’t complete. But it was just about me trying my best to stop him from getting the momentum to go score, because once he gets me under the basket. I’m done, right?”
Kelly Oubre Jr. has had a quality season when healthy but continues to be the subject of trade rumors ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline.
Oubre recently scored 21 points on Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns and 18 points on Monday against the Indiana Pacers, rounding out his three best games since missing 22 games with a sprained left knee ligament. After making 4 of 5 three-pointers on Thursday, he’s shooting 11-for-18 from deep in his last three games.
“You just put the work in, man, and you have to trust it,” Oubre said of his shot. “That’s all it is. It’s just being confident in those positions and having faith that your shot will go in and you follow the right discipline.”
Oubre started his third consecutive game, and was in the opening group for the fourth time in the nine games since his return. The first three starts came as Paul George was sidelined due to left knee injury management. But on this night, Oubre started alongside George, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, and Tyrese Maxey.
Nick Nurse said starting Oubre over Dominick Barlow was based on performance.
“I think Barlow has played outstanding and played outstanding again tonight,” Nurse said. “But Kelly obviously has been a pretty big spark plug, getting to the rim and just guarding. Just guarding really good, tough matchup every night as well. So I went that way. He’s pretty experienced as well.”
Maxey led the Sixers with 36 points, 10 assists, and four steals. Meanwhile, Embiid added 32 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, and two blocks for his ninth career triple-double. Oubre has mastered playing off the two standouts by slashing to the basket and hitting opportunistic shots.
For Oubre, it’s more than just getting the ball — it’s about moving bodies around.
“I’ve always been a slasher,” he said. “Having a guy who creates as much energy around him as Joel, if my man goes to double or somebody is not looking or they’re not worried about the weak side, then that’s just a free lane to just cut into the paint and potentially give him an easy assist, or free somebody else up for a jumper.”
Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 36 points, 10 assists, and four steals. Joel Embiid added 32 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, and two blocks for his ninth career triple-double. And Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 26 points on 10-for-14 shooting — including 4 of 5 from three-point range — to go with four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and a block in a hard-fought victory.
But with the score tied at 115 with three seconds remaining in regulation, Maxey’s layup attempt bounced off the backboard and in the direction of the rim. That’s when Houston Rockets small forward swatted the ball away for an obvious goaltending.
Luckily for the Sixers, the game went to overtime, and they pulled out a six-point victory.
“That was bad,” Paul George said. “It was a double goaltend. Yeah, that was bad. Luckily, basketball gods were on our side to win the game tonight. But yeah, that was a bad no-call.”
Nick Nurse said he doesn’t always have the greatest view. But on this night, the no-call occurred in front of the Sixers’ bench.
“And I think Tyrese almost, on purpose, tried to get it to the backboard extra quick,” Nurse said. “Like he almost threw it into the backboard real quick. I mean, listen, they are supposed to call those if there’s any chance at all there’s a goaltend, because they can review it. They can’t review it if they don’t call it. So they can get it right.
“I’ve actually been in games with those guys that they’ve called them more than two or three times. You get it when they call it. But they didn’t. I guess they just thought it was too far under, or they didn’t see it. So they didn’t call it.”
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey attempts a lay up late that was goaltended and became a controversial no-call.
Maxey responded “nope” when asked if the official gave him an explanation on the no-call.
So what was his reaction?
“Just get to overtime and try to win it there. That’s it,” he said. “I just was surprised. I kind of like laid it on the backboard. But it happens, man. We’re all humans.”
Maxey scored six of his points and tallied two of his steals in the extra session, leading the Sixers to victory.
Kelly Oubre Jr. said it was hard to let that blown call go in order to focus on overtime.
“But that’s why you have a 15-man roster,” he said. “Everybody kind of collectively [kept the team focused]. But it started with Kyle [Lowry]. You know in his prime, he was the biggest complainer of them all, right? But when you have a guy who accomplished so much and is who’s so just witty and smart, and he knows the game. He just rallied us all and told us just to forget about it. We got five more minutes to go in the basketball game.”
Much-needed home victory
The Sixers’ home arena has been far from a safe haven. Heading into Thursday, they had lost five of their last seven home games and were 11-12 at this building. The fifth-place squad and 10th-place Atlanta Hawks (7-13) are the Eastern Conference’s only top 10 teams without winning home records.
Jabari Walker was asked following Thursday’s shootaround if there was a sense within the Sixers’ locker room that they need to start winning some of their home games.
“That’s always been like that,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any extra pressure, recently. That’s always been the standard. … We are just going to continue to rely on the attitude that we’ve had. And I think we will bounce back.”
And they did just that with a victory over one of the league’s best teams.
“That was huge,” Nurse said. “We needed a good home win. We needed … to beat somebody really good. We needed a good, tough close-game win. Hopefully, we can get some momentum off of it.
“We certainly need to play better at home.”
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey scored 36 poins to lead his team in scoring.
The Sixers will conclude their current six-game homestand at 3 p.m. Saturday against the New York Knicks. After facing the Charlotte Hornets on Monday in North Carolina, they’ll return to Philly for another three-game homestand.
They’ll host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday in the second game of a back-to-back before entertaining the Sacramento Kings (Jan. 29) and New Orleans Pelicans (Jan. 31).
The Sixers must find a way to keep racking up wins at home, where they are supposed to have an advantage. They blew golden opportunities to take advantage of home-court advantage in recent losses to the Cavs on Jan. 14 and 16, and to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
Unfortunately for them, those losses weren’t surprising after losing home games to the tanking Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 23 and the depleted Denver Nuggets on Jan. 5. The Nuggets were without their entire starting lineup and eight players total.
Right now, the Sixers are better on the road, where they’re 12-7. While the road record is impressive, they need to play much better at home. And as Nurse said, beating the Rockets was a good starting point.
Another player torches Sixers
We shouldn’t be surprised that Durant torched the Sixers for 36 points.
The 6-foot-11, 240-pound forward is the 2014 MVP, a four-time scoring champion, an 11-time All-NBA selection, and a 15-time All-Star. He came into Tuesday’s game with a career scoring average of 27.2 points. And scored at least 30 points in 14 games played.
To add to that, the Sixers have had a knack for allowing high-scoring performances from opposing players. So Durant’s performance was just part of a trend.
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant scored 32 points against the Sixers, becoming the latest star to score big against them.
Boston Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown (32 points), Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (31), Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Donovan Mitchell (46 and 35), Milwaukee Bucks point guard Ryan Rollins (32), Miami Heat shooting guard Norman Powell (32), Orlando Magic point guard Anthony Black (31), Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (41), Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant (40), New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson (31), Orlando shooting guard Desmond Bane (31) and Cleveland point guard Jaylen Tyson (39) were the others who scored at least 30 against the Sixers.
The 76ers must play with a sense of urgency against bad and/or undermanned teams.
Tyrese Maxey is a newly minted Eastern Conference NBA All-Star starter. But the Sixers point guard, and coach Nick Nurse, believe he has more to give.
And the Sixers need more production from their bench.
These things stood out in Monday’s 113-104 victory over the Indiana Pacers at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Lack of energy
Maxey and Joel Embiid’s play, especially late in the game, enabled the Sixers (23-18) to avoid an embarrassing loss to the Pacers (10-34).
Maxey scored 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder also had four assists and four steals while playing 10 minutes, 35 seconds in the quarter.
In the quarter, Maxey was able to get to the paint more frequently and finish at the rim.
“We kind of opened the court up a little bit,” he said. “Me and Joel didn’t play a lot of two-man game. So it’s kind of like just getting him the ball, coming off screens, and doing that.”
But before Embiid reentered the game with 5:01 remaining, Maxey was paired with Quentin Grimes, Jabari Walker, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Adem Bona.
“And with that unit, I know I have to be ultra-aggressive for myself, for my teammates as well, getting to the paint, kicking it out, generating threes. That’s what I tried to do. Got a couple of corner threes with that group, and that’s good offense for us.”
For the game, Maxey made 12 of 24 shots to go with eight assists, four rebounds, a career-high eight steals, and one block.
“I was just trying to be aggressive, you know, make plays for my teammates,” Maxey said of his steals. “I think it gets us going when we get out in the open court [after stealing the ball] and get some easy baskets.”
Meanwhile, Embiid scored nine of his 30 points in the fourth quarter. The center also finished with nine rebounds and four assists.
But it was like the Sixers fell into a deep slumber against the Pacers before they took over.
Sixers center Joel Embiid poured in 30 points in a combeack win Monday over Indiana.
At the start of the game, they looked like a well-oiled machine.
Embiid had 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting. Oubre, who started in place of Paul George, had six points on 3-for-3 shooting. And Dominick Barlow had the other two points on 1-for-2 shooting, as the Sixers had an 18-15 lead with 6:19 remaining in the first quarter. They had made 9 of 12 shots at the time.
They couldn’t shake the Pacers and clung to a 33-30 lead heading into the second quarter. And things only got worse for the Sixers in the second. They shot 26.3% and trailed by as many as 10 points against the NBA’s second-worst team. Much of the defending Eastern Conference champions’ struggles are down to injuries.
On Monday, they were without Tyrese Haliburton (right Achilles tendon tear), Bennedict Mathurin (sprained right thumb), and Obi Toppin (right foot stress fracture).
The Sixers struggled through 3-for-13 three-point shooting over the first three quarters. They ended up making 5 of 17.
But struggling against an undermanned squad isn’t uncommon.
On Jan. 5, they put forth an inexcusable effort against a Denver Nuggets team playing without its entire starting lineup and three key reserves.
This time, the Sixers woke up from their slumber and escaped with a nine-point victory. But they need to do a better job of putting teams away that have no business competing with them.
Maxey impacted the game in many ways on Monday. But the belief is that the sixth-year veteran is just scratching the surface.
“I think I’m most definitely nowhere close to where I could be, as far as basketball-wise,” Maxey said. “I feel like I can keep getting better. And my thing is I just want to be better. You know what I’m saying, for my teammates, for this organization, my family. And I know I have a coach, an organization, and teammates who believe in me. And when you have that, it kind of pushes you to be even better than what you are.”
Right now, he must do a better job of adjusting when teams trap him. But Maxey is most proud of his leadership and the strides he’s made on defense. He was a good defender growing up. But he’s found that the transition to the NBA has been more challenging.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey had a career-high eight steals in Monday’s win.
“I feel like I figured it out a little bit on how to be impactful,” he said, “and impact the game on the [defensive] end of the floor.”
But even though he needs to regain his rhythm, Maxey is in the midst of a career season.
He is third in the league in scoring (30.2 points per game), second in steals (2.1), and 15th in assists (6.7). He is also fourth in made three-pointers (140), and has scored at least 30 points in 19 of 39 games.
“We’re trying to give him every opportunity to be aggressive and go do his thing,” Nurse said. “And he’s very talented. And I keep saying there’s still a lot of room for growth, which I think is exciting.”
The Sixers were outscored 35-14 in bench points, and even that was misleading. They only had eight heading into the fourth quarter.
Grimes had five points on 1-for-7 shooting. Walker had five while making 2 of 5 shots. He was, by far, the most productive reserve, finishing with six rebounds and four steals. Bona (two points, 1-for-2 shooting) and Trendon Watford (two points, 1-for-4 shooting) were the other bench scorers.
Justin Edwards and Jared McCain didn’t attempt a shot after playing only the final 47 seconds. But the Sixers must get more production out of their bench if they expect to remain competitive.
The two Atlantic Division foes will meet again on Monday in the second game of the back-to-back series in Toronto.
That means we’ll learn more about where the Sixers stand shortly. In the meantime, I’ll answer a few of your mailbag questions.
Missed out on the party? No worries. Submit questions for next time by tweeting @PompeyOnSixers on X with the hashtag #PompeysMailbagFlow.
Q: When Kelly Oubre Jr. gets healthy, should he be starting over Dom Barlow, or should we stick with Barlow, who we have found success with recently? — @Carter80113612
A: Thanks for starting the mailbag, Carter. We know both were in the starting lineup on Sunday because Paul George was a late scratch due to left knee soreness. But it will be different moving forward.
As a result, this is a great question that keeps coming up. I also keep going back and forth between Oubre and Barlow as the fifth starter. Both deserve to be in the lineup. I initially said Oubre, George, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, and Tyrese Maxey would make up my starting lineup once he returned.
In that scenario, Barlow would be my seventh man behind Quentin Grimes.
But then I changed my mind, because Barlow, being a true power forward, takes pressure off George to play that position. George has an easier time guarding small forwards on the perimeter than power forwards in the post. I also appreciate that Barlow doesn’t need the ball to make an impact.
Dominick Barlow can remain in the Sixers’ starting lineup and be this season’s version of Marc Iavaroni.
For me, he can be this season’s version of Marc Iavaroni, who started 77 games on the Sixers’ 1983 NBA championship team.
The power forward averaged 5.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 20.2 minutes at power forward while starting alongside Hall of Famers Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and Mo Cheeks, along with Andrew Toney. Meanwhile, Hall of Famer Bobby Jones averaged 9.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.2 blocks, and 23.6 minutes off the bench as the sixth man.
I think Oubre, who had been the Sixers’ X factor before his injury, can thrive in Jones’ role. He would thrive as the sixth man while playing a starter’s minutes.
While his shots didn’t fall, Oubre made a significant impact in a reserve role during his first two games back from injury. With all things considered, I would keep him in that role.
Q: Will Jared McCain be on the team after the trade deadline? And what is his current trade value? — @MediumBall02
A: He needs to be on the team. I know some people have soured on McCain due to his shooting slump and defensive shortcomings. The second-year guard was averaging 2.8 points on 25% shooting in the six games heading into Sunday’s contest against the Raptors.
For the season, the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder averaged 6.6 points on 34.8% shooting — including making 31.9% of his three-pointers. He definitely needs to improve.
But we shouldn’t forget that McCain had his rookie season cut short because of a torn meniscus in his left knee. In addition to the December 2024 injury, he had the start of this season delayed after suffering a torn ligament in his right thumb in September.
Sixers guard Jared McCain averaged just 2.8 points on 25% shooting in the six games heading into Sunday’s contest against the Raptors
Yes, he’s back on the court, but it usually takes 15 months postsurgery to fully get back to yourself following major knee injuries. In addition to that, McCain was the NBA rookie of the year front-runner last season before his injury. He’s not expected to fully regain his true form until late this season or next season.
Sure, he has trade value due to being on a rookie deal that’s paying him $4.1 million this season, $4.4 million next season, and a potential club option for $6.7 million in 2027-28. But the Sixers have time to thoroughly evaluate what they have in him before deciding on his future.
Plus, keeping him could be insurance just in case they lose Quentin Grimes in free agency this summer.
Q: Do you think Nick Nurse is being extra cautious with Trendon Watford? — @botman02_
A: What’s up, Botman? It’s not a matter of being extra cautious. The coach said on Dec. 30 that the jury is still out on Watford regarding playing time. That’s because the coaching staff hasn’t seen much of him, due to injuries limiting the free-agent acquisition to just 15 games heading into Sunday’s contest. The power forward missed the preseason and the first three games of the season with a left hamstring issue. Watford returned on Wednesday after missing 17 consecutive games with a strained left thigh muscle suffered against the Orlando Magic on Nov. 25.
During that time, Barlow has excelled in his role as the starting power forward. Meanwhile, Jabari Walker has also been a solid backup for the Sixers.
“Where he would slot back in, he’s going to probably have to earn that back in there, not unlike the other guys coming back off injury,” Nurse said of Watford. “I think it’s a bit of a process, usually.”
Could New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32)and Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0), a former Roman Catholic standout, both get the nod over Joel Embiid in All-Star voting by Eastern Conference coaches?
Q: Can Joel Embiid make the All-Star Game? Will the coaches vote him in? — @_long_live_jai
A: Great question, Jai. Anything is possible. The 2023 league MVP and seven-time All-Star has actually shown glimpses of his former dominant self. He scored a season-high 39 points against the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 12. He scored at least 30 points in three other games. And he’s averaging 27.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.2 steals in his last six games.
The problem is Embiid has missed 18 games. He’s also had a tough time moving and struggled mightily on defense early in the season. In the second round of fan voting, Embiid was 17th among conference All-Star votes. Unless he dominates the media and player voting, he won’t make the All-Star Game as a starter.
So the coaches will have to decide whether he deserves the nod over players who have been more deserving in terms of availability and consistency.
Embiid’s statistics don’t count regarding season rankings due to not playing in at least 70% of the Sixers’ games. However, his scoring average of 23.5 points would rank first among Eastern Conference centers if he played enough games.
Right now, New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren, Cleveland Cavs center/power forward Evan Mobley, and Miami Heat power forward/center Bam Adebayo might be the leading candidates to receive the coaches’ nod if not selected as starters.
I know one thing. Embiid definitely has an opinion.
“Am I going to make it? I think I should,” he said to the media following Friday’s road victory over the Orlando Magic. “I don’t think we’re pushing it enough. I think I got pretty good stats. So, maybe you guys should put the word out that Joel Embiid is back.”
The Sixers (21-16) were trending in the right direction after winning two straight and five of their last six games heading into this matchup. And with Tyrese Maxey scoring a game-high 38 points, they appeared capable of overcoming the huge absences of Joel Embiid (left knee injury management/left groin soreness) and Paul George (left knee soreness).
But an inability to close out the game reared its ugly head.
Maxey hit a what appeared to be a 29-foot dagger three-pointer to give the Sixers a 107-103 cushion with 20.1 seconds left.
However, they failed to inbound the ball. The Raptors (24-16) won two challenges and made two baskets to force overtime.
The Sixers built a 112-108 lead with 2 minutes, 23 seconds remaining in overtime. But the Raptors responded with a 7-0 run to take a 115-112 lead after the Sixers missed two shots and committed a costly turnover.
Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (left) led the team in points with 31 against the Sixers.
VJ Edgecombe made a 30-foot three-pointer to knot the score at 115. However, Scottie Barnes got away with initiating contact with Oubre, who was called for a foul, on a drive with 0.8 seconds left.
Barnes, who finished with 31 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds, made the first foul shot and intentionally missed the second to win the game.
The Sixers committed 22 turnovers and made just 8 of 31 three-pointers. But they were ultimately doomed by poor late-game execution. Something they need to correct.
“We just got to be better, be more disciplined and stay together in those moments where we’re facing a little bit of adversity, because we both made runs,” Oubre said to reporters. “But you know, theirs was the final shot.”
Barnes will get the credit for winning Sunday’s game. However, the Raptors backcourt of Immanuel Quickley and Jamal Shead had their way with the Sixers guards. Quickley finished with 20 points and seven assists, while Shead had 22 and six assists.
The duo had several downhill drives in the lane. If they couldn’t score, they kicked the ball out to teammates. Late in the game, Shead and Quickley drove the lane. Once the Sixers provided help defense, the guard would dump the ball off to a big man for a dunk.
“We just got out of position on some of that,” coach Nick Nurse said to reporters. “I felt we went to help a little too early, and obviously left too big a passing lane for those dumboffs late.”
But it started with the Sixers guards needing to do a better job of keeping opposing perimeter players in front of them.
Before missing 22 games with a sprained left knee ligament, Oubre was the quiet assassin for the Sixers. The 6-foot-8 small forward averaged 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in his first 12 games. In addition to excelling when the ball was moving, Oubre did a solid job of guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player.
He returned on Wednesday and provided solid defense that night against the Washington Wizards and again on Friday vs. the Orlando Magic. However, he averaged one point on a combined 1-for-9 shooting in those two games.
Toronto Raptors guard Alijah Martin, left, strips the ball from Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. during overtime.
He had the complete package against the Raptors.
Oubre finished with 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting to go with five rebounds and season highs of four steals and three blocks in his third game back. Nine of his points came in the third quarter.
“He hasn’t really scored much since being back, so that’s obviously nice to see,” Nurse said. “He even hit a three, but had some really nice drives. He had a couple of good blocks and steals as well, which is why we ended up playing him as much as we did down the stretch.”
He’ll go back to being an X-factor if he can keep this up.
“It definitely felt good,” Oubre said. “It’s just, I think I could be better. I got blocked because I’m not trusting myself and the work that I put in.
“So you know, just watching film, continue to just show up every day and get better. That’s all I can do. But it definitely felt good to get some run.”
The center rotation between Joel Embiid remains in flux.
And Kelly Oubre Jr. must regain his shooting rhythm. But in the meantime, his effort has been a huge asset.
Those things stood out in the 76ers’ 103-91 victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday night at the Kia Center.
George continues to shine
The Sixers (21-15) need someone to take over when Tyrese Maxey and Embiid are on the bench at the start of the fourth quarter. Based on Friday, George is determined to fulfill that role.
The nine-time All-Star scored eight of the Sixers’ 11 points to put them up 94-82 before Embid and Maxey checked in with 6 minutes, 48 seconds remaining. George made 4 of 7 shots, grabbed four rebounds, blocked two shots, and assisted on Andre Drummond’s layup during the stretch without the two standouts.
After he went to the bench briefly at the 6:18 mark, Maxey and Embiid continued where he left off. They combined to score seven points before George returned with 3:35 remaining. He added his 10th point of the quarter on a layup with 2:57 left.
“He was really good in the fourth,” Maxey told the media. “Really good! He played defense all game. Then in the fourth, he made shots.”
The 6-foot-9 small forward finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and three steals to go with his two blocks. This is the second consecutive game that George dominated a quarter. He scored 13 of his 23 points in the second quarter of Wednesday’s home victory against the Washington Wizards.
The Sixers need him and rookie VJ Edgecombe to keep dominating quarters, especially when Maxey and Embiid are resting.
George didn’t shoot the ball well, missing all seven of his three-point attempts. But he played with poise and got to his spots for key buckets, especially in the fourth quarter.
Maxey finished with a game-high 29 points and three steals. Embiid added 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block. Edgecombe had just six points on 3-for-8 shooting. But the shooting guard finished with nine rebounds, a team-high seven assists, and two steals.
The Sixers will be tough to beat if their four best players continue to display this type of balance.
Center rotation
When healthy and available, Embiid will always get the start at center. And that’s understandable, considering he’s the 2023 MVP and a seven-time All-Star. Who backs him up, however, often depends on the matchup.
Adem Bona usually gets the nod when the Sixers are playing an athletic team that likes to play an uptempo style. Meanwhile, Drummond assumes the role whenever they need rebounding against a towering team.
So against Orlando (21-18), Drummond was the first player off the bench, subbing in for Embiid with 5:47 left in the opening quarter. This marked his second consecutive appearance after not playing in the previous two games.
Drummond quickly made an impact, grabbing an offensive rebound and scoring a putback at the 5:12 mark. He played well, finishing with seven points and six rebounds, and was a plus-8 in 16:37. Bona did not play.
Friday marked his second game back after missing 22 games with a sprained left knee ligament. The small forward failed to score while missing all five of his shots. But what Oubre lacked in shooting, he made up for in other areas. The 6-8, 203-pounder finished with six rebounds and one block.
He’s shooting 1-for-9, including missing all four of his three-point attempts, in his return.
But his energy and solid defense have made Oubre an asset off the bench in the last two games. And he should make an even larger impact once he regains his shooting rhythm.
Before the injury, Oubre averaged 16.8 points on 49.7% shooting — including 34.3% from three-point land.
The Sixers expect him to regain his shooting form over time.
