You may not be a fan of the Sixers’ decision to rebuild and tank, and hold it against management for the decision to do so. Just don’t accuse the players of “tanking” or losing games on purpose, not after the effort they gave against the Bulls on Friday night.
Trailing by 16 points in the second half, it would have been easy to fold and accept the fact that they were going to lose to what is most likely the best team in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they clawed and chipped away at the deficit, so well to the point that they only lost by one possession.
"We were down and kept fighting," Luc Mbah a Moute said, via CSN Philly. "We are this close. We are young, so we make mistakes when we shouldn't make those mistakes. If we can right those things and play hard like we do, good things will happen for us."
Mbah a Moute was a big part of the effort from the Sixers, as he turned in a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Sixers were led by Tony Wroten in scoring with 31 points, as the point guard also managed to limit his turnovers to just two.
Wroten admitted after the game that the way the Sixers fought back gave him a little “anxiety”, especially as the score grew closer, according to CSN Philly.
"It gave me anxiety, especially when Kirk missed both free throws and we came down and made a three and cut it to one. That shows our heart," Wroten said. "We never give up, and coach encourages us to continue to trust the process and that is what we will continue to do. We are taking baby steps trying to get better every day."
That’s exactly what Brett Brown wants out of his team. Brown believes that if the Sixers continue to play that hard, they will gain attention from throughout the league. Though he did not admit it, Brown likely knows that his team would not receive much attention otherwise.
"We ask our guys all the time, what do you want other teams to say about you?" Sixers head coach Brett Brown said to CSN Philly. "We want respect, and we want to work hard. We want to have the tenacity and spirit that reflects the city and a bunch of young guys.”
Game Notes:
- Toronto is one of the bottom-five teams in three-point shooting, barely hitting 30% of them as a team.
- The Sixers are one of the five worst teams in the NBA in defending the three, allowing nearly 40%.
- Philadelphia is the worst free-throw shooting team in the NBA, hitting only 64%. A big reason why is the man that gets to the line the most, Wroten (8.5 attempts per game) is only shooting 63% himself.
- Toronto swept the season series last year, the first time they have ever done that against the 76ers.
Injuries:
Amir Johnson (ankle) is expected to play for Toronto. For Philadelphia, their three cornerstones, Nerlens Noel (ankle), Joel Embiid (foot) and Michael Carter-Williams (shoulder) are all out. Also sitting out will be Jerami Grant (ankle), Malcolm Thomas (knee) and Jason Richardson (knee/foot).
Projected Lineups:
Philadelphia:
PG- Tony Wroten
SG- Hollis Thompson
SF- Jakar Sampson
PF- Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
C- Henry Sims
Toronto:
PG- Kyle Lowry
SG- Demar DeRozan
SF- Terrance Ross
PF- Amir Johnson
C- Jonas Valanciunas
Prediction: Toronto is a dangerous team and they win this one by double digits, 110-95.
