The 76ers are not looking good

    The loss to the Knicks said a lot about a team hoping to really establish dominance in the Eastern Conference. And as if that loss wasn't enough, the 76ers lost an absolutely disgusting game against the Eastern Conference leaders. Both games were absolutely horrible, as the Sixers collapsed against the Knick's, and their defense was helpless against the Celtics sharpshooting. Literally helpless. But first up, the Knicks. 

    Somehow, the Sixers built a 21 point lead, and only to watch the Knicks steadily cut that lead down. And then, after a despicable second quarter in which Philly scored only 18 points, and a fourth quarter in which they scored the same amount, the Knicks mounted a comeback, and finished with a 108-97 drubbing of the 76ers. Scores often are overlooked, but because of the way the 76ers played in the second half, they were definitely "drubbed." Turnovers, a lack of scoring, and weak defense gave New York the game.

    Then, the 76ers took a trip to Boston, and that game was definitely worse. The Celtics were short four of their star players, and still were able to cruise to a 106-99 victory. Jaylen Brown received a facial injury from Jayson Tatum (Tatum accidentally elbowed Brown), and Al Horford, Robert Williams, and Marcus Smart all had various injuries. The 76ers should have beat the shorthanded Boston, and Jayson Tatum had only 12 points, so what happened? 

    It was the triples. Boston fired shots from behind the arc like a slingshot. Arcs that were drained into the net. The Celtics attempted 35 three pointers, and nailed 19 of them. To put that into perspective, that's a 54.3 three point field goal percentage! The Celtics gained 57 points from the three point line. 

    Leading the onslaught of three balls, was Blake Griffin, who banged in five, on only eight attempts. Malcom Brogdon made three and Jayson made one. Sam Hauser knocked down four, on four tries, and Grant Williams also made four. Derrick White made three. Yes, four Celtics players had three or more three pointers. They were balancing their attack. As mentioned, Blake Griffin, their center nailed five threes. They attacked the Sixers by spreading the ball, draining threes, and keeping them guessing. Never before this season, have the 76ers faced so gutsy and determined of a team, who is so dominant behind the arc. In comparison, the Sixers made only 10 of their 31 attempts for a 32.3 three point percentage. It isn't bad, but when their opponent steps up, they need to as well. 

    

Jayson Tatum and the shorthanded Celtics were too much for Embiid and the 76ers

Photo Credit: Mass Live

    These two teams are probably playoff bound, so the 76ers have a little excuse. But if they really want to make a case for the playoffs, they will have to up the ante. The Knicks and the Celtics are only a couple of the teams that the Sixers face in the post-season, and all the other teams will be determined. If the 76ers continue the habit of collapsing, they will not be able to contend with those kind of teams. And if they play like they did tonight, they will utterly fail against those teams. 

The above photo was taken from a Mass Live article. Photo taken by (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)AP. Article written by Souichi Terada. Image used for commentary.