76ers Blown Out By Clippers 125-99 In Embarrassing Loss
AP Photo/Matt Slocum
While you were getting ready to watch the Eagles take on the Los Angeles Rams, the Philadelphia 76ers got destroyed by another team from California, the Los Angeles Clippers 125-99. From the jump, this game wasn’t even competitive, and a brutal third quarter was the nail in the coffin for Philadelphia as the 76ers fell to 3-13 on the season.
It was a mix of scorers for the 76ers, with Jared McCain scoring 18 points and Tyrese Maxey adding 17 of his own. Former 76er James Harden dominated all night dropping 23 points thanks to 12 free throws and adding eight assists while the 76ers had no answer for Ivica Zubac who added 16 points and 12 rebounds and Chester native Derrick Jones Jr. finished with 18 points of his own. The Clippers as a whole out-rebounded the 76ers 39-28.
The Clippers came out hot, opening the game on a 14-5 run. Back-to-back threes from James Harden and Amir Coffey and a pair of layups from Ivica Zubac helped fuel the opening run from LA. Things continued to go the Clippers’ way, especially for Harden whose hot hand was on point in the first quarter. The former 76er knocked down three shots in the first 12 minutes, including two threes and four free throws for 12 points as the Clippers led 39-27 after one
Things continued to be bad for Philadelphia this time in the form of two-way player Jordan Miller who opened up the second quarter with three straight shots for seven easy points. Down 16, the 76ers needed a run to get back in the game. Clutch shots from Ricky Council Jr. and Kelly Oubre Jr. cut the deficit to 11. However, the Clippers continued to answer back with clutch shots of their own. Hardan added three more free throws to his total while Zubac slammed another shot to make it 62-50 at the end of the first half.
Half number two opened up with a layup and three-pointer from Pennsylvania native Derrick Jones Jr. to extend their lead to 17. Things went from bad to worse as the 76ers had no answer for Zubac who continued to dominate the poor 76ers’ interior defense for three more easy shots to up Los Angeles’ lead to 21.
The deficit for Philadelphia continued to grow as the third quarter went on with the Clippers continuing to knock down shot after shot. More free throws from Harden, a three from Kris Dunn, and then another three from Harden made it 89-62 Los Angeles with just under five minutes left in the third quarter. As the quarter winded down the 76ers could not get any big run going and trailed 97-72 heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Maxey got a bit of a run going with a pair of free throws and a three-pointer, while Jared McCain knocked down a long jumper and added a few more points on free throws to cut the deficit to 20. However, a 9-0 run led by Terrance Mann helped the Clippers regain a 29-point lead as the fourth quarter winded down. With under six minutes to play and the team down nearly 30 points, Nick Nurse emptied his bench as the 76ers conceited, falling 125-99.
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Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
