On Wednesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers lost badly to the Minnesota Timberwolves away from home. For the Sixers, the game was the second leg of a back-to-back set.
The Sixers knew going into the game that the situation would not be ideal. Not only did they square off against the Cleveland Cavaliers the night before, but the game required overtime to be decided. Also, during the 2023–2024 NBA season, the Sixers played without Joel Embiid, their player of the year.
A cursory look at the final standings reveals an undermanned visiting side falling short of expectations. Despite the result, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse managed to find the silver lining.
“We did a lot of good things tonight,” the head coach remarked to the media. “Obviously, the beginning was not one of them, but I believe we accomplished a great deal of excellent work.”
Nurse brought up the opening sequence, which featured an uneven performance during the first quarter of play. The Timberwolves shot 60% of their field goal attempts and outscored the Sixers 25–22. Minnesota came within three points of recording a 40-point performance.
The Timberwolves kept the Sixers to less than 37 percent shooting from the field while playing strong defense. From outside the arc, the Sixers had a 1-8 record. Into the second quarter, the Sixers were down 17 points, having only made 8 baskets, 3 free throws, and 7 turnovers.
Despite how the first 12 minutes went, it wasn’t an easy win for the Timberwolves as they dominated the opposition. With a 29–20 fourth quarter, the Sixers fought back and showed Minnesota they would not fold in the face of a prearranged defeat.
“I thought we did a really good job of creating some good open looks, we got downhill, and we got to the free throw line,” Nurse said, “getting back in the game, staying within some touch.” “Not all of those threes, but the majority of them were ones I wouldn’t want us to pass up.”
The Sixers were within striking distance of mounting a comeback following an impressive performance in the second quarter. Sadly, it was challenging to repel Minnesota’s onslaught due to the ongoing problems from beyond the arc.
“You will need to shoot over the top of those from a distance, so you will need to make a higher percentage of those,” the nurse said. “That was a truly noteworthy example.”
In total, the Sixers made only seven of their thirty-two three-point tries. Although their inability to execute well from deep contributed to their defeat, Nurse remained unfazed.
“I believe we put up a strong fight,” the head coach concluded. “We had 17 offensive rebounds, so we were fighting even though it felt like we were being killed on the glass. They only had ten, but it felt like they had thirty. It was simply the sensation. I believe that, once again, our slow start caused us to lag somewhat behind.”
The Sixers suffered their fifth loss of the season on Wednesday, falling short 112–99. They’ll have a few days off before taking the court again on Saturday to play the Oklahoma City Thunder.