You can’t make disingenuous ducking jokes if you lose to the hospital squad, now can you.
The Sixers lost 125-124 in OT to the Nuggets despite Denver being down half its roster.
Joel Embiid led all scorers
with 32 points going 13-of-22 from the field, while pulling down 10 rebounds. Tyrese Maxey had 28 on 10-of-22 but missed the potential game-winners in both regulation and overtime.
VJ Edgecombe had another big fourth after another quiet first three quarters to finish with 17 points shooting 6-of-17 from the floor while dishing out nine assists.
Paul George had just eight while Jalen Pickett led the Nuggets with 29.
The Sixers were only without Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford while Denver was without Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, Jonas Valanciunas, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Cam Johnson.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
- Be honest: the start of this game was not surprising at all. The Sixers opened it looking like they were the ones who were down half their team and played the night before, just settling into contested jumpers with a couple lazy turnovers sprinkled in. Denver took full advantage, starting the game on an 11-2 run.
- Things started to settle in for them a bit as they started running some offense, getting the ball to Embiid. Not only did he make his first three shots of the night but Edgecombe had picked up four early assists as chasing down loose balls and funneling them to Embiid was a successful blue print early. There was just another good sign of how well Embiid is moving these days, and that was his contest of a Peyton Watson dunk attempt, even if he did foul Watson in the process.
- Maxey got going towards the middle of the quarter as the Sixers tried to erase the lead. He and Embiid went for 19 but the rest of the Sixers shot 3-of-11 to start the game. They tightened up on the perimeter relative to their start, but Denver still shot 41% on 12 three-point attempts to get out to a three-point lead.
Second Quarter
- The struggles for Jared McCain earlier in the season felt a lot more understandable. Now, he just can’t buy an open shot to save his life, and it looks like he’s in his own head. He had two early turnovers to start: just dropping a pass out of bounds and deciding to dribble once he had already jumped to shoot. That indecision could have been that he missed another wide open three to start the game. Maybe the answer is more time in Delaware, but McCain is running out of avenues to turn his season around.
- One sophomore did have a solid start and that was Adem Bona, who has made the backup five job all his the past few games. He had solid rim pressure, blocking a shot so clearly even though it had to be challenged, and fought really hard on the offensive glass.
- It felt like more hot shooting than a poor defensive effort as to why the Nuggets got out in front. So it didn’t make a ton of sense why the Sixers sat in a zone midway through the second. It just gave them an easier chance to swing to an open shooter. At least the shotmaking was coming around for the Sixers — even McCain got a three go to down as the crowd gave him a Trea Turner-esque cheer as he got the shot up.
- Naturally on the other end the Sixers were generating plenty of open threes, but only shot 28% in the half. They put in minutes of work to go up by five all to have it undone in two trips down the floor. Finally one of those open looks fell as Quentin Grimes just beat the shot clock to tie the game at 58 at the break.
Third Quarter
- That variance started to swing back, at least in one way as the Sixers made their first two threes of the second half, though Denver did as well. The Sixers were able to draw fouls on some handsy defenders, which was good because they were pretty loose with the ball to start the half.
- After those four assists Edgecombe had really started to struggle. He hadn’t made a field goal, and was struggling as much as anyone trying to stop the force that was Pickett. Even after throwing a really bad entry pass that got picked off, he was able to shake it off and get on the board with a couple of big threes, both of which hit on the verge of the Nuggets going on a run.
- Jabari Walker was responsible for a couple of nice plays from the high-post in the first half, and he followed that up by fighting very hard on both ends of the glass in the third. He saved a Maxey missed free throw and eventually put back his own miss on the longest possession ever, and helped Embiid fortify the interior on the other end. Not only did Maxey’s jumper start to fall but he was absurdly disruptive, picking up his sixth stock of the night in the quarter. With Embiid imposing his will at the line the Sixers finally got a tad of separation, leading by six after three.
Fourth Quarter
- Perhaps the Sixers just expected this Nuggets team to roll over and die, but they just wouldn’t. A Bona lob, Maxey three, and a strong Grimes take to the basket made it look like it was smooth sailing from here. The Nuggets quickly responded and got to the basket quite easily. Two of those chances came in transition, where the Sixers are still horrendous at getting back. Grimes got back just in time on the second play to give Hunter Tyson a four-point play, re-taking the lead for Denver.
- After getting beat up inside for the first half of the quarter, Nick Nurse went to a lineup with Bona out there with Embiid for a good chunk of crunch time. The Nuggets packed the paint with a zone, but the Sixers were still having solid offensive success attacking it. While they put a lot of bodies there, none of them were near big enough to inhibit Embiid. The Sixers though, still hadn’t figured a way to inhibit any Nugget on the other end.
- Letting Bruce Brown slip free for a corner three was a momentum killer, and fouling him behind the arc of the following possession even more so. Somehow, Edgecombe had another clutch play in him hitting a three right as the Sixers were running out of time. He stole the ball on the next possession, though Embiid gave it right back with an ambitious hit ahead pass to George. They forced a long miss though and Maxey was able to run out for the rebound and take it to the hoop to tie the game with 49 seconds left.
- For some reason George hardly played in the fourth, but he was out there and had a big block along with Embiid to help force another stop. The Sixers opted to not call a timeout and dribble the clock out. If Maxey didn’t fumble the ball a bit, that decision probably doesn’t get criticized, but Maxey did and nearly lost it. He barely got a shot off before the buzzer but it fell short.
Overtime
- After allowing a corner three on the first possession, the Sixers defense held firm for much of OT. Edgecombe really came alive at that end, swatting a Brown layup attempt and ripping the ball away from Pickett. Of course it was him who cut down the lane for the go-ahead dunk with about a minute and a half remaining.
- George was able to turn the Nuggets over on the following possession, ensuring no one in the crowd was sitting down. Maxey got a good three but was too long on it. Edgecombe pulled down the offensive rebound, but George eventually turned it over, unable to corral a less-than-stellar pass from Embiid.
- Out of a timeout, Denver missed a midrange jumper. The Sixers gave it to Edgecombe who took a tough-contested layup and the long rebound was able to turn into a fast break for the Nuggets. Embiid got back as quick as he could but it was a goaltend, giving the Nuggets the lead with 5.3 seconds left. Maxey got the last look again, and the runner he took looked as much like a lob as it did a shot, but it rolled off the rim for a crushing loss.
