76ers played off the court by the Celtics, 124-104

The 76ers have now dropped their sixth straight game and suffered their eighth loss in nine outings. Play-by-play commentator Kevin Harlan summed up the sentiment in Philadelphia since December with his closing remark: “It seems their season may be slipping away.”

Here are a couple of takeaways from tonight’s 20-point loss, along with an outlook for the remaining 29 games.

Dominated from the Start

The Sixers were never in this game. Boston came out scorching hot, hitting 7 of 10 threes in the first quarter and building an early eight-point lead. By halftime, that lead had doubled, with the Celtics heading into the break up 72-56. This game was yet another example of a season-long issue for the Sixers, playing from behind. They rank among the league’s worst in first-half margin, and against a superior team like Boston, they simply had no path to building momentum. 

The Celtics were on fire from deep, finishing 24-of-54 from beyond the arc (44.4%). Seven different Boston players hit at least two three-pointers, led by Payton Pritchard, who had a career night. Pritchard was the game’s leading scorer with 28 points, shooting 8-of-15 from three.

But while shot-making played a huge role, Boston’s ability to generate quality looks was even more impressive. The Celtics had the Sixers on a string all night, forcing them out of position on nearly every possession. It was a passing masterclass, Boston finished with 33 assists, consistently making the extra swing pass to find open shooters. Meanwhile, the Sixers were constantly scrambling, a step behind on every rotation.

A Lack of Chemistry

This was just the 11th game that Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George have played together, and it shows. There’s no clear plan when they share the floor, a concern Embiid has voiced throughout the season. He’s admitted he often doesn’t understand what the team is trying to accomplish, leading to disjointed play. Instead of complementing each other, all three stars seem to be working toward the same goal in different ways, creating a lack of cohesion that’s been painfully evident. 

Beyond their struggles, it often feels like the other two players on the court are completely left out of the offense. Tonight, that was Quentin Grimes, who made his first start, and Kelly Oubre. Neither had much of an impact. Grimes finished with 12 points on 12 field-goal attempts, while Oubre had 16 points on 14 shots. Their inefficiency underscored the larger issue, a team that looks disorganized and out of sync, with no clear offensive identity. This problem resonated throughout the bench play tonight. As a unit, they shot 2 of 13 from three and scored 18 points between 7 players and 82 minutes.

To tank or not to tank

For better or worse, the 2024-25 Sixers will be remembered with one phrase: “A game and a half back of the play-in.”

The only argument and the one Daryl Morey continues to make, for pushing toward the playoffs is simple: Just get in. With a core of George, Embiid, and Maxey, the belief is that the Sixers can become a legitimate threat if they secure a spot. It’s a frustrating stance from the President of Basketball Operations, but in a way, he’s right, though only because his own indecision and stubbornness earlier in the season left the team with no better option. At this point, tanking simply isn’t viable.

Even in the best-case tanking scenario, the Sixers would likely finish with the sixth-best lottery odds. But since their first-round pick conveys to Oklahoma City if it falls outside the top six, they’d have just a 45.8% chance to keep it.

The worst possible outcome? Bottoming out, missing the playoffs, and losing their draft pick, a catastrophic end to an already disastrous season. So at this point, there’s only one choice: keep pushing and try to steal a play-in spot.

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