Philly Sports Jabronis
By Max Rappaport, Sixers.com
PHILADELPHIA –– On Friday, the Sixers fell to 0-6 on the season after a 118-115 loss to the Chicago Bulls. Those who missed the game and perused the box score afterwards might be drawn immediately to career-highs from Tony Wroten (31 points) and Hollis Thompson (21 points). They may notice that the Sixers dished out a season-high 29 assists on 43 made baskets, or that Chicago boasted a 19-9 advantage on points off of turnovers despite committing four more than Philadelphia. But what the stat sheet doesn’t show is the fight the Sixers displayed for all 48 minutes against the Bulls.
Down six healthy bodies, the Sixers were forced to split up their only two healthy big men, Henry Sims and Brandon Davies, between the first and second units. Rookie forward JaKarr Sampson started at power forward alongside Sims. Undersized and undermanned against a formidable Chicago frontcourt, Philadelphia was able to scrap its way to a 57 draw at halftime. But a fit of turnovers to open the third quarter allowed Chicago to ride a 14-5 run to a nine-point advantage. The Sixers were able to cut their deficit back to six before a 14-4 spurt to end the frame gave the Bulls their largest lead of the game, as they entered the fourth quarter up 92-76.
The Sixers made dents in their deficit early in the fourth but couldn’t work it down to single digits. After a Doug McDermott three-pointer with 7:20 left in the game, the Bulls opened up a 17-point advantage, their largest of the night. The Sixers, though, had one final push left.
A quick 10-2 run by Philadelphia reduced their deficit to nine with 5:24 left. Over the next two minutes, both teams remained scoreless. The drought was ended when Pau Gasol knocked down an 18-footer with 3:31 left. The Sixers climbed back into the game behind poor execution on the offensive end for Chicago coupled with six straight points for Tony Wroten to make it 113-106 with 1:25 remaining. With 30 seconds left, a three-pointer by Chris Johnson and a heady play by Wroten on the ensuing inbound to force a turnover gave Philadelphia hope.
A missed three by Wroten on the next possession appeared to end the comeback effort, but a Hollis Thompson three sandwiched by three missed free throws on two trips to the line by the Bulls allowed the Sixers to make it a one-point game following a three-pointer by Johnson with 5.0 seconds left.
After a foul on the inbound, Kirk Hinrich extended Chicago’s lead to three, and without a timeout to advance the ball, the Sixers were forced to inbound from their own end with 2.1 seconds remaining. Chris Johnson’s 43-foot prayer at the buzzer went unanswered, and Chicago escaped with a victory.
“I ask our guys often, ‘What do you want other teams to say or think about you?’” said head coach Brett Brown after the game. “We want respect. We want to work hard. We want to have a tenacity and a spirit that reflects this city, and reflects the young guys. I’m proud of the process they have followed, and the results will come.”
Next Up
The Sixers travel to Toronto over the weekend for a Sunday night meeting with the division-rival Raptors at 7pm (EST).
Nerlens Noel Questionable For Sunday’s Game
Rookie Nerlens Noel was one of six Philadelphia players unavailable against the Bulls. After the game, Coach Brown noted that the 6’11” big man’s status for the team’s Sunday meeting with the Raptors has yet to be determined.
Joel Embiid Rejoins The Team
During the preseason, rookie Joel Embiid returned to Cameroon to mourn the sudden loss of his younger brother. On Friday, he returned to Philadelphia and rejoined his teammates.
“It was great having Joel Embiid back,” said Coach Brown. “The team welcomed him with open arms. For him to have walked into the locker room and to be a part of the huddle before we got going out to play, he’s a valued member of this team, and everybody welcomed him as they should. It was good to have a teammate back.”
