Sixers Tie NBA Record With 26th Straight Loss

By Sean Kennedy (@PhillyFastBreak)

Boston 84, Philadelphia 80 – Box Score

About 2 and a half years ago,  I started this website, mainly out of my love for Sixers basketball. If I had known that in less than three years, I’d have to write about two separate 26-game losing streaks, well, I still would have done it. But I would have thought long and hard about it. Even knowing losses right now are in the best interest of the franchise long-term, the fact that the Sixers are now 0-16 and have lost 26 straight dating back to last season is tougher to swallow than an overcooked turkey.

Which is worse, Sixers fans? The games of a couple weeks ago where terrible third quarters led to blowout losses? Or this recent stretch of games where the Sixers have the lead in the fourth quarter before the Monstars come and steal their powers in crunch time? The answer is yes.

For the fourth time in the last five games, the Sixers had one of those fourth quarter leads in Boston. This wasn’t some flimsy advantage, either, as Philadelphia led by 11 with 6 minutes left. After the Celtics cut the lead to 2 with 3 minutes remaining, the Sixers went to Jahlil Okafor in the post, who converted a three-point play to put them back up 5. Things looked promising for the team’s first win of the season up until this point.

76ers led by 5 with 2 minutes left.

Entering day, teams leading by 5+ with 2 minutes left were 196-3 this season (.985 win pct)

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 26, 2015

Unlike the past couple losses, I’m not even sure what Brett Brown should have done differently from there on out. The Sixers tried to go back to Okafor (19 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks), but the Celtics sent a hard double-team, leading to an open Isaiah Canaan three (which missed). Then, Canaan and Robert Covington each just turned the ball over trying to dribble. Those miscues were followed by Brown drawing up a great play for Covington to get open driving to the lane, but RoCo tried a shovel pass to a cutting Nerlens Noel, only for the ball to predictably bounce off Nerlens’ stone hands.

With nowhere else to turn and down two on the final possession, Brown turned to Phil Pressey, who at least got an open look from 12 feet, but saw his jumper clang off the iron. The collapse completed an 18-3 run by Boston to end the game.

In the most important possession of the game, Brown was basically forced to go to a guy the team signed off the street with an injury exception granted to them by the league. Somehow, I think the roster might be to blame.

Anyway, the Sixers will now need to win in Houston tomorrow night to avoid setting the all-time record for consecutive losses at 27. They’re also just a couple losses away from the all-time-worst 0-18 start to a season.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Just remember, you have plenty to be thankful for if your favorite basketball team being a train wreck on the court is one of your biggest problems. Have a great holiday!

Other Game Notes:

• Robert Covington didn’t shoot the ball well (4-16 from the field, 2-8 from three), but he was great defensively, grabbing 14 rebounds, collecting 6 steals, and rejecting 2 shots. He has such active hands as a help side defender and just needs to pick his spots a tiny bit better to avoid picking up so many fouls.
• Hollis Thompson had another nice game with 15 points on 6-11 from the field and 3-7 from three. He’s quietly once again right around 40% from behind the arc on the season (32-81, 39.5%).
• Perhaps the most troubling part of this season is the disintegration of Nerlens Noel’s game. Noel was 1-7 from the field and had a -20 plus/minus in a game the team lost by four. The next worst plus/minus on the team was McConnell at -5. Noel looks lost offensively playing alongside Okafor, being forced to float around on the perimeter and throw up a still-broken jumper. Defensively, he’s not tasked with guarding the paint nearly as much, which is taking away what he does best. Brown is starting to get better with the rotations to split the two big guys up and have more shooters out there when they play together, but it’s been rough to watch.
• The Sixers badly need a guard who can play some defense. The Celtics shot just 34.1% as a team, but the lone guy who could score the ball for them was Isaiah Thomas, who went off for 30 points on 11-21 shooting from the field. Unfortunately, even when Kendall Marshall and Tony Wroten return, this problem will still be present.