Sixers Stumble in Portland as Injuries, Illnesses, and a Third-Quarter Collapse Doom Road Trip Finale
On the final leg of a grueling five-game West Coast swing, with the All-Star break just around the corner, the Sixers were hoping to head home on a high note. Instead, what they got was a reminder of how quickly things can unravel when your roster is running on fumes.
Monday night’s 135-118 loss to the Trail Blazers wasn’t just a matter of being outplayed - it was a case of being outmanned, outgunned, and ultimately overwhelmed. The Sixers entered the night already thin, and within the final hour before tip-off, their lineup took a series of gut punches. Quentin Grimes, Joel Embiid, and Dominick Barlow were all ruled out in rapid succession, leaving Nick Nurse with a patchwork rotation and a tough task ahead.
A Tale of Two Halves - Again
To their credit, the Sixers came out swinging. Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Trendon Watford led a spirited first-half effort that saw Philadelphia take a lead into the break.
Oubre was especially sharp early, putting up 16 points with four steals in the first half alone. The Sixers were crisp, aggressive, and looked like the better team through the first 24 minutes.
But then came the third quarter - the familiar villain in this Sixers season.
If you’ve followed this team, you know the script by now. Another halftime lead, another post-break collapse.
This one was particularly brutal: a 49-22 third-quarter drubbing that flipped the game on its head. Portland, who came into the night ranked dead last in the NBA in three-point percentage, caught fire.
Toumani Camara, better known for his defense than his shooting, had a career night from deep, going 8-of-9 from beyond the arc en route to 26 points.
The Sixers, meanwhile, looked like a team that had simply run out of gas - and bodies.
Third-Quarter Woes Continue to Haunt
This wasn’t an isolated incident. The Sixers’ third-quarter struggles have been a season-long storyline, one that’s been acknowledged internally as much as it has externally.
Back in November, after a win that still featured a disastrous third quarter, someone scribbled “30th in 3rd Q” on a whiteboard in the locker room. A teammate followed up by writing one word over it: “STILL.”
It’s not about Xs and Os at this point. Nick Nurse hasn’t overhauled his halftime strategy, and the rules of the game don’t change after intermission.
What does seem to change - too often - is the team’s focus and energy level. Monday night was just the latest example of how costly that can be.
Rotation Stretched to the Limit
With so many key players sidelined, the Sixers had to get creative with their rotation. Justin Edwards, who had been buried on the bench for much of the season, was suddenly the sixth man. He made the most of the opportunity with a couple of early steals and two made threes, offering some solid minutes on both ends despite a few defensive lapses.
Then came Kyle Lowry, who hadn’t played meaningful minutes since before Christmas. At 39, Lowry’s role has mostly been about veteran leadership, but with the bench nearly empty, Nurse turned to a player he trusts. Lowry didn’t provide much in terms of stats, but his presence was a steadying force - even if it couldn’t stop the bleeding.
And finally, there was MarJon Beauchamp. The two-way swingman made his Sixers debut and showed some promise in limited action.
He notched three assists in just over seven minutes, including a sharp feed to set up a corner three. It wasn’t flashy, but it was functional - and a small bright spot on a night where the Sixers were short on them.
The Perfect Storm of Absences
This was one of those nights where everything seemed to go wrong at once. Embiid’s late scratch due to right knee injury management was unexpected - the first time he’s missed a game not part of a back-to-back since late December.
Then came the illness bug, which hit both Grimes and Barlow just hours before tip-off. It’s the second time in six weeks the Sixers have dealt with a team-wide bug, and the timing couldn’t have been worse.
With two 10-day contract players already filling roster spots, the Sixers were essentially playing with a skeleton crew. Nights like this are part of the grind of an 82-game season - but that doesn’t make them any easier to swallow.
Looking Ahead
The Sixers head home with a 3-2 record on this road trip, which, all things considered, isn’t a bad result. The loss to the Lakers earlier in the trip might sting more than this one, given how competitive that game was.
Monday night in Portland? That was a case of a team simply not having enough left in the tank.
Next up: a home matchup with the New York Knicks on Wednesday night before the All-Star break. The Sixers will be hoping for healthier bodies, fresher legs, and - maybe - a third quarter that doesn’t go completely off the rails.