It is one thing to be missing one of your top players, it’s entirely another thing when you lose the other of those top players after just 7:36. That was the battle the Philadelphia 76ers found themselves in on Wednesday.
They entered the game already missing Ben Simmons, but they then lost Joel Embiid late in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers and it cost them. They dropped another road game as they fell to the Cavs 108-94 to drop their seventh straight road game and falling to 9-21 on the road on the season.
Shake Milton, starting in place of Simmons, led Philadelphia with 20 points, Furkan Korkmaz had 14 off the bench, Alec Burks had 13, Al Horford had 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists, and Tobias Harris had 11 while Josh Richardson had nine points. Those numbers are not going to get it done when you’re missing your two best players on the road no matter who the opponent is.
This team is definitely in one of their toughest positions of the season. They are built around Simmons and Embiid and with Simmons set to miss extended time, they can ill afford to lose the big fella for any time as well.
They have a quick turn around as they return home to host the New York Knicks on Thursday. [lawrence-related id=26548,26532,26523]