76ers Get Revenge at Home Against the Magic, 102-94
Dec 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) reacts against the Orlando Magic in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The Sixers are finally starting to string together some success, winning three of their last four games. They defeated the Magic in the second game of their home-and-home series, 102-94. Paul George was available for this game, and it seems they could have snagged both matchups had he also played on Wednesday. Here’s a holistic takeaway from tonight’s win, which came without Joel Embiid.
In my breakdown following the Charlotte game, I reviewed their upcoming schedule and predicted they’d split this home-and-home. The Magic were missing Paolo Banchero and Jonathan Isaac in both games, while the Sixers were without Embiid. On Wednesday, Franz Wagner shined, scoring 35 points. Tonight, he posted another 30-point game, albeit less efficiently. Wagner shot 3-12 from three, which reflected the Magic’s overall struggles from beyond the arc. Orlando shot 13-46 (28.3%) from three and went 0-12 in the second quarter alone.
The Sixers didn’t fare much better, shooting just 7-26 (26.9%) from deep. Their starters combined for 4-20 from three, with Tyrese Maxey being particularly concerning. Over the past three games, Maxey has shot a dismal 2-21 from three. This poor shooting aligns with what has been apparent from the eye test—he seems way off from last season. All his numbers are down: effective field goal percentage (-5 points), three-point percentage (-7 points), and field goal percentage (-4 points). What’s notable is that his shot attempt rates are the same or higher, which makes sense with Embiid’s absence, but he simply isn’t converting. This is particularly worrisome given the recent extension he signed.
Looking at the box score alone, it’s hard to pinpoint why the Sixers won. KJ Martin was the only standout, scoring 20 points on 9-10 shooting and posting a +7 for the game. Even so, it wasn’t so much that Martin won them the game as much as the Magic simply playing poorly.
One noteworthy moment came when the score was 59-55 with three minutes left in the third quarter—a remarkably low-scoring game. This has been a recurring theme for the Sixers this season, and the stats confirm it. They rank 29th in points per game (105.2) and dead last in pace (96.0). By comparison, the league-leading Bulls have a pace of 104.53, and last season the Sixers were 18th in pace at 97.5. This slow pace means long, tough possessions that often stagnate. This issue has plagued the Sixers in the past but seems even worse this year, especially since the team is built around Embiid. Without him, they lack a clear identity.
Finally, the Sixers once again flirted with disaster. At the end of the third quarter, they led by 12 points (71-59), and the lead grew to 13 with five minutes left. However, Jalen Suggs hit two tough shots late to cut the lead to four with 53.7 seconds remaining. Fortunately for the Sixers, it was too little too late, and they escaped with the win. Still, this game is yet another example of the Sixers’ struggles to close out games professionally and consistently.
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Nate Tramdaks
Nate is a Sophomore at La Salle studying finance. He closely follows the 76ers, has co-hosted his own 76ers podcast in the past, and has been writing for Syracuse University Sports.
