Game 55: Thursday, Feb. 4th, 2025
Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers
Final Score: BOS 124 – PHI 104
The Sixers’ win against the Celtics at Christmas seems like a lifetime ago. Back then, there was still hope. Now, it’s getting sadder and sadder. The losing streak hit six with this one, and, spoiler alert, it didn’t end this week. Unsurprisingly, this one wasn’t close from the jump. They gave up 72 in the first half and were down double digits for the majority of the game. It might be time to officially call in the tank.
This game featured the Sixers Big Three all playing again, and it didn’t look any better. Whatever improvements Joel Embiid made against the blitzing double teams last year have been reset with his injury struggles this year, and it hurts to see him hobbling around. Paul George ended up leading the Sixers with 17, but again, he’s just a passenger in these games. All five of the starters were in double digits, which is usually a good thing, but definitely not in this one.
They didn’t have to do too much for the Celtics, but at full strength, they really do have unlimited three-point shooting. Pretty much anyone on their team can get hot from deep, and this time, it was Payton Pritchard who made it rain to the tune of eight threes—a hopeless game for an increasingly hopeless season.
Yong Kim/Philadelphia Inquirer
Game 56: Saturday, Feb. 22nd, 2025
Brooklyn Nets at Philadelphia 76ers
Final Score: BKN 105 – PHI 103
If this wasn’t the final nail in the coffin, it’s certainly close. Losing to the Nets for the second time in three games is depressing. With this game, the Sixers are 1-9 in February, and besides the two games against the Celtics, it was a fairly soft schedule. The Sixers’ effort play-to-play is dismal, and it seems that they’ve given up on the season. Considering George and Embiid are playing through somewhat serious injuries, it’s perhaps not surprising the effort isn’t there.
Maxey still tries on offense, at least, scoring 31 and hitting a big three to tie things up after trailing the entire game. Paul George was fine, but again, he seemed content to just sort of be there and do the bare minimum. Honestly, Quentin Grimes seems to be putting the most effort in, and maybe that’s because he’s a new addition and hasn’t had to suffer during the season the Sixers have had.
Embiid was notably benched for the fourth quarter as the Sixers mounted a comeback, only to allow Nic Claxton to get a putback at the buzzer to lose. It was a kind of a microcosm of the whole season. Do much worse than expected, seem to come back briefly to five hope, only to let their effort peter out in the most deflating way.
Matt Slocum/AP Photo
Weekly Musing: The Last Chance
At this point, the Nets are a full game clear of the Sixers, who have dropped to the 12th seed. The Chicago Bulls have been in lockstep with the Sixers, still 1.5 games ahead. They lose when the Sixers do and win when they do as well. That means that the playoff spot is still technically just as close as it’s been for the last month, but I’ve finally come around to putting this season down and committing to the tank.
Having Embiid and George limp around out there is both sad and pointless. Even if they limp into the play-in, what’s the point with those two hurt? Just let them get the surgery and pray on those ping-pong balls. The real final straw will be Monday’s game against the Chicago Bulls. If they win, they gain a whole game on the Bulls and will be just half a game back of them, and the play-in is close enough. If they lose, it’s tank time.
Patrick Yen is a contributor on Back Sports Page. He has written for NBC, SB Nation, and a few other websites during his journalism career. He has been the Back Sports Page beat writer for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Patrick, a graduate from the Ohio State University, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but moved to Columbus, Ohio early in his life and has lived there ever since. You can find more of Patrick on Twitter @pyen117.
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