The Sixers’ 114-106 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night wasn’t just frustrating - it was puzzling. And not because they lost to a Nets team that came in with just eight wins. It was how they lost, and what it revealed about the current state of the roster.
Let’s start with the moment that said a lot about where this team is right now. End of the first quarter, the Sixers double Paul George 30 feet from the hoop - a clear sign of respect for the nine-time All-Star.
George calmly swings it to Kyle Lowry, who quickly finds Eric Gordon wide open on the left wing. Splash.
Tie game at 27.
That shot didn’t decide the game, but it told a deeper story. With their backcourt decimated - VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes both out sick, and Tyrese Maxey plus Jared McCain struggling mightily - head coach Nick Nurse had no choice but to dig deep into his bench. That meant meaningful minutes for veterans like Gordon (17 minutes) and Lowry (10), and at one point, a lineup that looked like it was plucked straight from a 2014 All-Star game: Gordon, Lowry, George, Justin Edwards, and Andre Drummond.
That group, unsurprisingly, couldn’t keep pace.
The Sixers were flat, especially at the guard spots. Maxey and McCain combined to shoot 6-for-25 from the field, and it wasn’t just the missed shots - it was the decision-making.
In the second half, both guards started turning down open looks from deep in favor of tough, contested drives that rarely ended well. Paul George wasn’t much better, finishing 5-for-14.
As a team, the Sixers shot just 6-of-22 from three. That’s not going to cut it in today’s NBA, especially when the other team is burying triples and building confidence.
And yet, despite the ugly offense and a third-quarter lull that saw the Nets build a double-digit lead, there was a brief flicker of life in the fourth. After a Maxey steal led to an easy layup, and Joel Embiid found Adem Bona for an alley-oop, the newly renamed Xfinity Mobile Arena finally woke up. Then Embiid went flying into the stands to save a loose ball, and for a moment, the building - and the team - had a pulse.
It wasn’t enough to dig out of the hole they’d created, but it was something.
And that brings us to the biggest reason for optimism: Joel Embiid looked really good.
Physically, this might’ve been the best he’s looked all season. Early in the first quarter, he and Maxey ran their usual dribble handoff action - only this time, Embiid faked the handoff and attacked the rim.
That kind of aggressive move, especially off the dribble, speaks volumes about his confidence in his knee. Later, in the second quarter, Embiid tried to dunk - not a soft finish, but a real attempt to throw it down through contact.
He hasn’t completed a dunk all season, which is wild when you consider he had 106 of them back in 2018-19. But the fact that he even tried it?
That matters.
Then came the third-quarter scare - a knee bump that sent Embiid briefly to the locker room. But he returned and kept playing, and not just playing - producing.
By the end of the night, Embiid had 27 points on just 13 shots, plus six boards, four assists, and two blocks in 31 minutes. The Sixers were +1 with him on the floor.
Without him? They were -9 in the 17 minutes he sat.
The rest of the team shot 41% from the field and 26% from deep. That’s a tough formula to win with, especially when your only reliable offense is tip-ins - something Nick Nurse even joked about postgame.
The Sixers tried to go big at times, but it didn’t work. Bona, still finding his footing, grabbed just one defensive rebound in 19 minutes.
The Nets took advantage, winning the battle beyond the arc by 30 points. That’s the kind of math that rarely works in your favor.
But here’s the thing: this game doesn’t define the Sixers’ season. Edgecombe and Grimes will be back.
Maxey, who’s been one of the most consistent players on the roster, isn’t likely to repeat this kind of performance. Kelly Oubre, another key rotation piece, will return.
And if Embiid continues to look this mobile, this confident - the Sixers will have a shot to be more than just competitive.
Maybe not elite. But definitely interesting.
So, yeah, burn the tape. Chalk it up as one of those ugly December games where nothing goes right.
But don’t ignore the silver lining: Joel Embiid is starting to look like Joel Embiid again. And that’s the biggest win of the night, even in a loss.
Now, go enjoy the holidays. The season’s got a long way to go.