Sixers Slowly Crawl to the End in Loss to Celtics

By Sean Kennedy (@PhillyFastBreak)

Boston 120, Philadelphia 105 – Box Score

Sunday was the first day of Spring, and contrary to the fact that some brief hail came down in the Philadelphia area, it was meant to signify the beginning of a new year. Unfortunately for the Sixers and their fans, Sunday was just a continuation of the old year, a year that at this point of the season has become virtually unwatchable. Philadelphia once again played absymal defense, allowing all five Celtic starters to score at least 17 points, losing their 18th game out of the last 19 in the process.

Things got out of hand very early, as the Celtics went on a 20-2 run in the first quarter, with the Sixers going almost 8 minutes without making a field goal. From that point on, you were basically waiting for the game clock to tick to 0:00. The Sixers made a couple brief runs powered by 32-year-old Carl Landry, who finished with a season-high 26 points on 10-18 shooting and 8 rebounds. Given that fact that the Sixers couldn’t string stops together, starting with Ish Smith’s utter inability to contain Isaiah Thomas (team-high 26 points), it never figured to last.

The only three Sixers with a positive plus/minus on the game were Landry, Elton Brand, and T.J. McConnell. New Big Three! Nerlens Noel fouled in in just 24 minutes, while shooting 2-8 from the field and 0-4 from the foul line. The only other area that might be construed as a positive was continued solid outside shooting from Hollis Thompson and Nik Stauskas, who combined to hit 5 of 8 attempts from behind the arc. Thompson finished with 18 points and has now scored 14 or more in his last 4 contests.

Philadelphia heads to Indiana on the second night of a back-to-back tonight, a situation that wouldn’t bode well even if the team were playing competent basketball. If there’s one thing to look forward to, it’s that Robert Covington and Richaun Holmes are expected back later this week. Maybe they can breathe some fresh life into this moribund end to the season.