The Philadelphia 76ers have collapsed to another dismal loss as their season begins to unravel, falling 104-95 to the Atlanta Hawks.
The Sixers shot just 38.6 per cent from the floor and 6-of-30 from beyond the arc (20 per cent). They were dominated on the boards and looked sluggish and unmotivated as they fell to a seventh loss from 12 games.
The Hawks led by as many 20 points in the third before the 76ers got to within seven at the death, but Trae Young’s 26 points and Clint Capela’s 18 points and 20 rebounds helped Atlanta hold on to move their record to 8-4 for the season.
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“We had no energy,” under-fire Philly coach Doc Rivers said, with his side severely lacking point guard talent with James Harden injured for a month. The 76ers had 17 turnovers for their 15 assists.
“The lack of point guard play I thought was really clear tonight,” said Rivers. “We’re going to have to make an adjustment there.”
Joel Embiid bagged a second consecutive double-double, with 26 points and 13 rebounds, but gave away the ball seven times. But Tyrese Maxey made just five of 17 shots – having made four of 18 last time out.
The Hawks were forced to return all five starters onto the floor for the final minute of the fourth quarter as the 76ers bench got them back in touching distance of a comeback win, but Atlanta held on.
“We had a big lead and we got too relaxed and let them back in the game,” said Trae Young. “We’ve got to do a better job of closing out games.”
“We’ve been in a lot of close ones that should have been wins,” Maxey said. “We’ve got to break through and start winning these games.”
All five Hawks starters hit double-digits in points, while Onyeka Okongwu starred off the bench with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
PELS STUNNED BY DAME-LESS PORTLAND
The Portland Trail Blazers continued to shine on the road despite the absence of star guard Damian Lillard, downing the Pelicans 106-95 in New Orleans.
Jerami Grant scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Blazers as Lillard, already sidelined four games this season with a calf injury, again sat out a night after Portland’s victory at Charlotte.
“I knew I had to step up and do a lot more than I usually do,” said Grant, who also had four assists and four steals. “So I came out there and did what I could.”
Portland held the Pelicans to 41.8% shooting. Zion Williamson scored 29 points while former Trail Blazer CJ McCollum was just six-of-17 from the floor for 13 points.
WIZARDS TOP MAVS
In Washington, Kyle Kuzma scored 36 points to pace the shorthanded Wizards in a 113-105 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
With Bradley Beal sidelined by Covid protocols and Kristaps Porzingis nursing a groin strain, Kuzma helped the Wizards erase an early deficit and pull away for a convincing win.
Spencer Dinwiddie, the former Wizard who landed in Dallas in the trade that sent Porzingis to Washington, led the Mavs with 33 points as Luka Doncic connected on just eight of 21 shots on the way to 22 points.
Dallas led 80-78 late in the third quarter, but Kuzma and Rui Hachimura, who scored 23 points, caught fire as the Wizards went on a 21-6 scoring run to take control.
The Wizards reserves outscored the Mavs bench 50-25 and Dallas dropped their second straight game.
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HEAT SURVIVE WILD OVERTIME
The Miami Heat squandered a 15-point third-quarter lead but held on to beat Charlotte 117-112 in overtime on Thursday, handing the Hornets a seventh straight NBA defeat.
Jimmy Butler fuelled the Heat with 35 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Bam Adebayo added 18 points with 14 rebounds, but the Heat nearly let the game get away — as they had in recent losses to the Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers.
Despite the absence of injured Tyler Herro, the Heat built their lead to 15 points in the second quarter and again in the third.
They were up by 12 heading into the fourth, but the Hornets, who travelled to Miami overnight after a Wednesday home game, tied things up with a 12-0 scoring run.
They took the lead on a three-point play by Mason Plumlee with 6:50 remaining and led by as many as four before they went to overtime tied at 104-104.
Charlotte trailed by one with 14.8 seconds left in overtime when Kelly Oubre was called for travelling after receiving an inbounds pass.
Miami’s Gabe Vincent made two free-throws to push the advantage and Terry Rozier missed a three-pointer as the Hornets came up short.
Oubre led the Hornets with 29 points and Rozier added 22.
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LEBRON SET TO MISS GAMES … but ‘GOOD NEWS’
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is expected to miss playing time with a strained left adductor muscle, but coach Darvin Ham is just thankful the groin injury is not worse.
“It’s not torn, that’s the biggest thing, that he didn’t tear anything,” Ham told reporters Thursday at Lakers practice.
James had hobbled out of the fourth quarter of the team’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night with the injury and underwent medical imaging tests Thursday.
“So it was good news,” Ham said. “You know, I’m sure it’s painful. Doubtful, day-to-day, whatever — I’m just happy there wasn’t anything torn.” James missed 17 games with a left groin strain in his first season with the Lakers in 2018, and later said he’d suffered a partial tear.
On Wednesday he said his latest injury felt less severe.
“Just when I landed, I felt a little spasm or strain in my groin,” he said. James is doubtful to play against the Sacramento Kings on Friday. They play the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, then have four days off before they host the Detroit Pistons.
– AFP
FULL SCORES
Wizards 113-105 Mavericks
Hawks 104-95 76ers
Heat 117-112 Hornets
Pelicans 95-106 Trail Blazers
