Sixers lit up from the 3-point line — Fall to Phoenix 115-102
Mar 20, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) drives against Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) and Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen (8) during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
In the first of a 5-game road trip to the West Coast, the Sixers were dominated by the Phoenix Suns who shot an unbelievable 48.7% from 3. So far the Sixers have split the first 2 games in a brutal 10-game stretch on the schedule, but before all that let’s recap the disappointing night.
The first quarter was actually pretty good for the Sixers, led by Kelly Oubre scoring 7 points to start things off. To many people’s Suprise without Embiid against this ever-talented Suns team, the Sixers led by 2 after 12 minutes of play. Unfortunately, this is about as good as it gets for the night as we enter a complete collapse in the second quarter.
39 points. That’s how many points the Sixers gave up in the second quarter alone. A complete breakdown, series after series defensively. Grayson Allen led the way for the Suns with 9 of those points with 3 threes. When the half was all said and done the Suns were shooting 50% from 3. 10 threes in 1 half. The 76ers had 13 threes the entire game. To say the least, the Suns were doing whatever they wanted offensively.
Phoenix only pulled away further in the 3rd quarter, dropping 30 as a team led by Grayson Allen once again who tacked on 10 more points and 2 more 3s. The Suns really began to put this away with a 17-2 run ending just before the end of the 3rd quarter where the Sixers would trail 90-66.
By the 4th quarter, the starters were pulled, and while it looked like maybe just maybe the backups could do the impossible it didn’t happen. Tyrese Maxey had one of his worst games of the season with just 6 points on 13 shots. Kelly Oubre was extremely inefficient with 18 points on 20 shots. But most of all this team missed Embiid more than ever tonight being outrebounded 55-40. To pull up the exact numbers the 76ers in 35 games without Embiid this year average 41 rebounds a game. That’s 3rd worst in the league ahead of only Charlotte and the Wizards. Tonight if anything showed that missing Joel Embiid runs deeper than having to replace his 35 points a game. This team is being bullied on rebounds without him and so far there’s no solution to it other than just waiting for him to return which there is still no timetable for. With the team being in the most important stretch of the season they will need to figure something out and fast.
As for the actual standings, the Sixers drop back down to the 8th seed tied with Miami with matching 38-31 records. Miami takes the 7th seed because they hold a 2-1 series lead over the 76ers so far this season. If the team wants any hope of catching up to the Heat, Pacers, and Magic they’ll need to find something over the next 8 crucial games. If not, this team will more than likely be in the Eastern Conference play in tournament.
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