The 76ers had another negative night … depending on who you ask.
For those wanting them to reach the postseason, Monday night’s loss to the Chicago Bulls could be a detriment.
The Sixers missed out on an opportunity to clinch the season series over the Bulls following the 142-110 decision at the Wells Fargo Center. And after what was the team’s eighth consecutive loss, Paul George didn’t mince his words.
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“Regardless of who’s playing, who’s not playing, to have admiration for this group to believe that we can be not to get into the playoffs, but to make a push towards it, we’ve shown no signs of a team that will compete,” George said. “We just don’t have the habit of a champion or a playoff-contending team.
“So to be honest right now, it’s a little far-fetched. All we can do is work hard, try to keep going for one another. But we’ve showed no signs of, forget championship, but a playoff-contending team here.”
The Sixers (20-37) still hold a 2-1 series advantage over Chicago. They will face off, again, in the April 13 regular-season finale at The Center. A victory would give Philly, which is still battling for an NBA Play-In Tournament berth, the head-to-head tiebreaker should the teams finish with identical records.
But it was a great night for fans wanting the Sixers to pile up losses to keep their top-six protected first-round pick in June’s draft.
The loss also dropped the Eastern Conference’s 12th-place squad 2½ games behind the 10th-place Bulls (23-35) with 25 games remaining. That has some significance as the teams that finish Nos. 7 through 10 will participate in the Play-In. But the Sixers remain with the league’s sixth-worst record after losing 10 of their last 11 games.
Joel Embiid missed the game after being downgraded from questionable. The Sixers center and the team are considering alternative options, including another surgery, for his ailing left knee. His absence led to the Sixers unveiling their 36th different starting lineup of the season. Two of their starters, Guerschon Yabusele (corneal abrasion in right eye and swelling in left eye) and Quentin Grimes (right knee tendonitis flare up) left the game in the third quarter.
Their departures didn’t have any impact on the game.
“Just the overall vibe was pretty poor from the start,” coach Nick Nurse said. “I think that giving up 39 [points], almost 40 again in the first quarter [like on Saturday vs. the Brooklyn Nets] just kind of set the tone for the game, and just didn’t seem to be a lot of energy or life or vibe tonight.”
The Bulls built a commanding 30-point cushion with 6 minutes, 37 seconds left in the third quarter. They extended their lead to 50 points in the fourth quarter. The Bulls’ 75 points in the first half were a season-high for a team that snapped a six-game losing streak.
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“The game got away from us,” Tyrese Maxey said of trailing by 50 points. “It’s hard to come back from that. Every time I lace my shoes up, I lace my shoes up to win. That’s just how I feel. I’m never gonna lace my shoes up and expect to lose. That’s not how I’m wired. That’s not how I play basketball. That’s not how I live my life.”
Things were so bad that Sixers were booed more times than they made three-point shots (10).
The Sixers finished 10 of 40 on three-pointers while shooting 38.9% from the field. Meanwhile, the Bulls did whatever they wanted offensively. Chicago shot 50.6% and made 18 of 40 three-pointers.
George and Kelly Oubre Jr. led the Sixers with 19 points apiece. Maxey, who was playing with a sprained right finger, had 13 points on 3-for-10 shooting.
Chicago’s Josh Giddey finished with game highs of 25 points and 16 rebounds, while Kevin Huerter made 7 of 11 three-pointers to finish with 23 points.
Undermanned affair
As has been the case recently, the Sixers participated in another undermanned ballgame.
The Bulls were without Nikola Vucevic (right calf tightness), Patrick Williams (right quadriceps tendinitis), Jalen Smith (concussion), and Ayo Dosunmu (left shoulder subluxation).
In addition to Embiid, the Sixers were without Justin Edwards (left ankle sprain), Kyle Lowry (right hip injury management), and Eric Gordon (right wrist sprain).
Up next
The Sixers will travel to Madison Square Garden Wednesday to face the New York Knicks (7 p.m., ESPN). This marks the third of four series meetings for the Atlantic Division rivals. The Knicks (37-20) hold a 2-0 series advantage.