Mar 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jeff Dowtin Jr (11) reacts against the Indiana Pacers in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The comically short-handed Sixers kept it respectable in a loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.
Here's what I saw.
- While I don't have the numbers to say it definitively, it sure as hell felt like the best defense the Sixers have played in a first quarter all season. Philadelphia certainly benefitted from some bad shooting luck on Indiana's side. But there were some gutsy defensive efforts, too. Alex Reese, for example, met Myles Turner at the apex for a nice block at the rim. More than anything, this youthful collection of Sixers could do one thing that the regular Sixers have not deal well all season. Knowing they had very little equity to argue for fouls, Philadelphia simply got back on defense after missed shots and turnovers.
We can talk about talent disparity all day long. If the full strength Sixers are not getting back in transition, Indiana is going to get strong shot quality. If the young Sixers, less conditioned by the sound of a whistle, are beating the Pacers down the floor and getting bodies in front of them, Indiana's shot quality goes down. Maybe it's only for a brief stretch of time, but you can out-effort talent. That led to an excellent first frame for the comically under-manned Sixers.
- Jeff Dowtin Jr. turning into a James Harden-level (he said in jest) shot-creator for himself over the last two games is the surprise that keeps on giving. He's drilling step-back midrange jumper after step-back midrange jumper, with defenders making reasonable efforts to contest to boot. He's found more than one spot on the floor, too. There were possessions in which the Pacers were sitting on his hip, careful to deny him any ability to shift directions. He waited out the driving lane, careful to not succumb to the ball pressure, and attacked for floaters when the seas parted.
- It was very funny to see the Sixers' offense fall through the floor as soon as the Pacers went into a zone defense. Through their indecision and lack of direction, the Sixers were essentially saying, "Oh shit, what is this?".
- The talent disparity kicked in late in the second quarter, but it became a factor more because of the Sixers' execution than simple shotmaking. Too many possessions were dead before the shot was even attempted, the Sixers lacking ball movement and pace. The clock quickly worked against them, forcing Philadelphia to resort to isolations that had little hope of producing anything. If you're going to call your own number, do it when you have a matchup you can exploit. Not against anyone at any time.
- While we're on that topic, got a good laugh out of Jared Butler isolating to end the second quarter - draining the entire clock by himself, in fact - just to try a fancy kiss off the glass that smacked off the side of the backboard instead. That, my friends, is the poster of tanking.
- Nick Nurse wouldn't be wrong to step to the microphone after the game and say, "All the good stuff we did in the first half, we forgot to do it in the second half". Truly. Failure to do all the things that got Philadelphia the lead in the first half was why they spiraled to a double-digit deficit early in the third quarter. Indiana understandably tightened up its pressure on defense. The Sixers understandably missed shots and committed live-ball turnovers. But, they were not quick enough to get back.
There was no anticipation, no organized responsibility to start sprinting back on defense. The game flipped when the Sixers started losing the foot race. Can't be giving up full-court passes for Pascal Siakam dunks.
- You know how you can tell that the Sixers are a team full of youngsters right now? They pick up their dribbles at the worst times. I don't have enough fingers or toes to count the number of times possessions ground to halts because the ball-handler inexplicably cut off his own water by picking up his dribble with nowhere to go.
- How does the NBA decide upon its hand motions for the various calls in the rule book? These are the things you find yourself thinking about covering this team.
The Sixers (22-44) will visit the Dallas Mavericks (33-34) on Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m., Eastern time. You can watch the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia.
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