The shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers took on another juggernaut Tuesday night, this time in the form of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers. They produced another valiant effort, but ultimately came up short and left fans with plenty to be frustrated about.
Much like Sunday’s game against the Clippers, the Sixers got off to a strong start Tuesday night. They built a seven-point lead after the first quarter and extended it to 13 early in the second quarter on Glenn Robinson III’s first 3-pointer as a Sixer. Then, the wheels fell off.
The Sixers disappeared at both ends of the court and got outscored 34-10 over the final eight and a half minutes of the second quarter, watching their 13-point lead turn into an 11-point halftime deficit. All told, the Sixers were outscored 37-19 in the period.
A 10-0 spurt from Los Angeles to start the third quarter pushed the lead to 21 and things were looking grim. To their credit, the Sixers kept coming and got within nine at the midway point of the quarter. The Lakers, however, responded and pushed the lead back to 19, ultimately carrying a 16-point advantage into the final frame.
The Sixers continued to show impressive grit, once again getting within single digits and cutting the lead to eight with 8:35 to go. They had a pair of excellent looks to get within six with six and a half minutes to go, but Glenn Robinson III and Shake Milton couldn’t connect from deep. They would get a few more opportunities, but could never hit the shot that would get them within two possessions. After another missed open three, back-to-back turnovers all but sealed the team’s fate. They wouldn’t be able to threaten further and fell 120-107.
Robinson III had his best game since being acquired from the Warriors with 25 points off the bench. He shot 10-15 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3. Tobias Harris chipped in 18, while Mike Scott, Shake Milton, and Alec Burks had 12 each.
On one hand, the Sixers fight was admirable. Taking on one of the favorites to win the NBA title, on the road, without their two best players, they never folded. In those circumstances, and after watching that enormous Lakers run from midway through the second quarter through the early third quarter, the team deserves credit for sticking in there and not only getting back within single digits but also having multiple opportunities to get within two possessions.
On the other hand, it’s the second time in recent weeks that the team has allowed the opponent to go on an astronomical run. That’s a serious concern. It was frustrating to watch them battle back but not be able to take advantage of those multiple opportunities to put real pressure on the Lakers. And, perhaps most frustratingly, fans are left to wonder where this type of toughness and effort is on a consistent basis. If the team had played the entire season with the kind of grit they’ve displayed in the last two games, it’s safe to assume it would be in a much different position.
Regardless, there are no moral victories for teams that were supposed to have championship aspirations, circumstances notwithstanding, and we’re left with yet another road loss that simply adds more frustration to a season that has been full of it. The Sixers are now 9-23 on the road and sit sixth in the East.
They’ll look to get back on track Thursday when they take on the Kings in Sacramento. [lawrence-related id=26979,26971,26962]
