In the days leading up to their return from the All-Star break, the Sixers have confidently discussed the energy in their practices, their fresh legs and the opportunity that sits in front of them to turn their disastrous season around.
But when they suited up against the Boston Celtics on Thursday to resume their regular season, the Sixers looked completely disinterested and defeated. They fell, 124-104, at the hands of the defending champions, who completely obliterated the Sixers on both ends of the floor. The Sixers' effort and focus on the defensive end were particularly discouraging, as a team which has acknowledged every game is crucial did not treat this game as such.
Here is what stood out from — you guessed it — another brutal Sixers loss:
Sixers defense falls flat against stellar Celtics offense
In order for the Celtics to lose, typically one of two things needs to happen: Boston has to shoot uncharacteristically poorly from three-point range, or their opponent has to really bring the fight defensively while also keeping pace via their own offensive exploits.
The Sixers' offensive process on Thursday was questionable at times, but not abominable. Meanwhile, they brought no fight on the other end of the floor, and a complete lack of intensity doomed them against a methodical, well-coached opponent.
The Celtics' prolific nature as a three-point shooting team was on full display in the opening frame: not only did they knock down eight triples en route to a 36-28 lead after a dozen minutes, but those threes came from seven different players. The only player in their rotation who is not a threat from beyond the arc is seven-footer Luke Kornet, who has become a stellar role player for the Celtics. Most of their players are not just capable shooters, but ones teams are constantly fearful of leaving open.
Boston added another 36 points in the second quarter, with Sixth Man of the Year candidate Payton Pritchard going nuts from beyond the arc. Pritchard can get red-hot at any time, and he did just that against a Sixers unit that just did not work. With Tyrese Maxey resting, Paul George and Quentin Grimes tag teamed the backup point guard duties. And while Guerschon Yabusele was on the floor, the Sixers also brought Andre Drummond back in the rotation. Drummond's lack of mobility on the perimeter was particularly damaging, and it was an odd choice to use him in a matchup almost suited perfectly for his weaknesses to be exposed.
By the time the Celtics and Sixers headed to their locker rooms at intermission — the Celtics being serenaded by cheers from the many Boston fans in the arena — the Sixers were clearly toast.
Beyond any schematic or strategic blunder, the Sixers did not enter this game with the requisite focus to topple one of the NBA's truly elite teams. While the Celtics saw a matchup with a vastly inferior team and stuck to the principles which have enabled their dominance, the Sixers looked flustered despite coming off two consecutive days of practice and having every reason in the world to treat every game like it is a must-win.
Beating a team like the Celtics without executing the key points of emphasis is not possible. The Sixers learned that the hard way.
Eric Gordon could be out for the foreseeable future
Gordon was once again out for this game due to a right wrist sprain. When Sixers head coach Nick Nurse was asked about Gordon's injury before the game, he did not have much of an update to report in a way that felt quite ominous.
"So he's seen two specialists and they still don't know what to do," Nurse said. "There's a problem with it. They're trying to decide the right course of action with it to get it better, and we're just unclear on that right now. So we’ve probably gotta see one or two more people and get some more opinions before we can get to some proper steps and plan of action"
Nurse, who acknowledged that Gordon missing significant time is within the range of outcomes, also acknowledged that it would be a blow for a Sixers rotation which has often relied on the veteran's floor spacing.
Gordon has struggled mightily for much of the season, but an absurd tear in January has uplifted many of his season-long statistics.
| Month | Games Played | 3PA/G | 3P% |
| October | 4 | 3.3 | 23.1 |
| November | 12 | 2.4 | 24.1 |
| December | 3 | 3.0 | 44.4 |
| January | 17 | 4.6 | 52.6 |
| February | 3 | 2.7 | 12.5 |
Gordon, 36, appeared to have fallen out of favor before staging a dramatic turnaround and becoming a key component of the rotation. It sounds like he might not be on the floor for quite a while.
Odds and ends
• With old friend Al Horford now a reserve for the Celtics when the team is at full health, Boston lacks a reliable Embiid defender in its starting five before the 38-year-old veteran checks in. So when both teams had their starting units in the game, Embiid's primary defender was another old friend, but one who is nearly a foot shorter than Embiid: the tenacious two-time champion Jrue Holiday. Any Embiid post up opportunity against Holiday immediately sparked a double-team, and the Sixers were able to get some decent early looks out of those before Boston tightened things up a bit.
• Drummond's minutes really were brutal. This has been the case for much of the veteran center's first full season with the team. He was brought back to Philadelphia to stabilize the backup center spot behind Embiid, but has failed to do that at all, while Yabusele feels far more likely to become a long-term staple there.
• David Roddy, active for the first time as a Sixer on the final night of his 10-day contract, entered the rotation in the second half as Nurse searched desperately for any sort of spark. Roddy is expected to lose his roster spot to Reading, PA native Lonnie Walker IV in the coming days, but could be brought back on a two-way contract. Walker already has a locker in the arena, though his signing is not yet official. Nurse said Walker could be available for the team's next game, but that is not locked in just yet.
• The contingent of Celtics fans in the arena was noticeably loud from the outset, just a few weeks after they took over the arena as the Sixers blew a 26-point lead to the Celtics. The Sixers have played in front of divided crowds here in Philadelphia much more than anybody would have guessed over the last several months, from these recent battles against the Celtics to last season's playoff series against the New York Knicks.
Up next: The Sixers will host the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night, looking to avenge their brutal loss in Brooklyn in their final game before the All-Star break.
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