Sixers Lose Pivotal Tanking Battle to Lakers

By Sean Kennedy (@PhillyFastBreak)

Los Angeles 93, Philadelphia 84 – Box Score

If the Sixers had to lose, this was at least the right opponent to lose to in regard to what may come this summer. In a game so filled with tanking implications that the Lakers organist actually played ‘Here Come the Sixers’ in the arena, the Sixers collapsed in the fourth quarter to ensure they would remain safely behind the Lakers in the standings. Also, with the win, Los Angeles is now just 2 wins behind Brooklyn for the third-worst record in the league, a potential move that would greatly improve the Sixers’ chances of securing the Lakers top-3 protected draft pick this summer.

After both teams were within just a few possessions of each other the entire game, the pivotal stretch was a Lakers 15-2 run midway through the fourth quarter. Old friend Lou Williams got hot for a bit and scored 8 of his season-high 24 points during the LA spurt. Brett Brown ran out a T.J. McConnell, Isaiah Canaan, Nik Stauskas, Jerami Grant, Jahlil Okafor lineup that had the stunning combination of terrible interior defense from Big Jah and awful shooting from the wings. Aside from McConnell (who was 5-6 from the floor), the Sixers guards were horrendous shooting the ball all evening. Canaan, Ish Smith, and Stauskas combined to make only 7 of 39 field goal attempts, and Philadelphia was just 4-24 from three as a team.

The main bright spot on the evening, aside from the draft implications, was the continued resurgence of Nerlens Noel. Unlike the past few games, Noel’s success wasn’t tied to Ish Smith. While Smith struggled, Noel was hitting the offensive glass, grabbing 5 offensive boards (12 rebounds in total), and finishing with 15 points and 3 blocks. Nerlens’ confidence was running so high that he even channeled his inner Allen Iverson and turned Sweet Lou into Tyronn Lue.

And Nerlens Noel STEPS OVER Lou Williams! https://t.co/rC2Z3ArmUt

— shamus (@shamus_clancy) January 2, 2016

If nothing else, it looks like the Noel starting, Okafor off the bench arrangement is here to stay, which seems like the best option for short-term competence, if not the most hopeful sign for the franchise’s long-term prospects. The Sixers will be right back in the same building Saturday night when they face the other Los Angeles team, the Clippers. Something tells me if they shoot below 40% from the field again, that game will be over long before the fourth quarter.