January 30, 2024
Soobum Im/USA TODAY Sports
The short-handed Sixers were routed by the 13-33 Portland Trail Blazers Monday night.
Looking to rebound after a tough loss in Denver, the Joel Embiid- and Tyrese Maxey-less Sixers headed to Portland for a matchup with the rebuilding Trail Blazers. The Blazers had different ideas, though: the Sixers fell in Portland, 130-104. Here are a dozen thoughts on the loss:
1: Paul Reed knocked down a three in the early minutes of this game. As he rained down jumper after jumper in Denver, Reed made a point that his shooting is much-improved, and knocking down shots should be considered a part of his repertoire. If Reed is able to shoot the ball even close to this well within a larger sample of time, not only does it make him a better player, but it makes him a much better fit to finally log consistent minutes alongside Embiid.
2: Mo Bamba made his return in this one, after not playing since Jan. 12. He was able to be disruptive as a defender, protecting the rim well, forcing a few turnovers and ending possessions on the boards. Because of Embiid's tendency to miss games, the Sixers' third-string center spot may be more important than that of any other team. Bamba's shot-blocking and three-point shooting have helped him solidify his standing as a player who is at times crucial for this team after a rough start to the season.
3: Patrick Beverley is so much better than anybody could have imagined after the first several weeks of the season. He continued his run of efficient, timely scoring and masterful facilitation. It is hard to believe this is the same player as the one who could barely even get a shot up for much of the early portion of the season. He has gone from being a soon-to-be outcast to being an essential piece.
4: Here's a new one: for three minutes in the first half, the Sixers' point guard was not Beverley, not Furkan Korkmaz and not Jaden Springer. It was not even two-way player Terquavion Smith. Instead, the player bringing up the ball and getting the team into its sets was Nic Batum: a stellar connective passer, but not exactly a traditional playmaker.
5: The Sixers saw old friend Matisse Thybulle, who is coming off the bench for Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups. Thybulle entered the night shooting just over 37 percent from three-point range. Thybulle lost his starting job in the middle of November, but remains a fixture of the rotation.
6: Tobias Harris, who missed the last two games before this one with an illness, looked very much like someone still dealing with something. He was just 1-for-7 from the floor in the first half, despite mostly getting good looks created for him by Beverley and/or screen-setters.
7: Kelly Oubre Jr. shot 6-for-8 from two-point range in the first half alone. While he is in the middle of a slump from beyond the arc, it is imperative that he makes himself useful and productive on the offensive end of the floor, particularly given the significant injuries the team is dealing with right now. As he did so often in the first several weeks of the season, he gave the Sixers timely scoring, time and time again.
8: Sixers head coach Nick Nurse elected to go with KJ Martin as the final man in his rotation over Jaden Springer. As the trade deadline nears, each of them could very well be moved as a sweetener in some package the Sixers try to assemble in order to acquire a rotation upgrade.
9: The Sixers generated a mostly satisfactory shot profile as a team in the first half. The only problem was that they shot just 3-for-18 from three-point range during that time. They were able to get open looks, but just could not knock them down. One possession near the end of the second quarter told the whole story: Beverley missed an open three. Batum grabbed the offensive rebound and found Marcus Morris Sr., who missed another open three. Reed grabbed yet another offensive rebound and found Oubre open beyond the arc — and he missed as well. Sometimes it feels like there is a lid on the rim.
10: The third quarter was an unmitigated disaster for the Sixers, who could not score for their lives — and similarly struggled to get any stops. The Blazers were getting whatever they wanted with little resistance on both ends of the floor and the glass.
11: Another old friend, Jerami Grant, was terrific in this one. Grant used his tremendous size, strength and athleticism to get downhill towards the rim over and over. He was able to consistently finish or draw a foul, and shot well at the free throw line. He has turned into a great player across several stops in the league, and Portland appears to be his long-term home after he signed a massive five-year deal to remain a Blazer.
12: A fun tidbit on Grant: he was traded by the Sixers to Oklahoma City for Ersan Ilyasova and a protected first-round pick. They went on to deal that pick to the Orlando Magic in the infamous Anzejs Pasecniks trade-up, then received it back from Orlando in return for Markelle Fultz. They then used that pick, #21 overall in 2020, on... Tyrese Maxey. On a night without much to be jazzed about for Sixers fans, take solace in this.
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