NBA: Philly finally wins again, holding off the Nuggets on the road
Denver, Colorado - The Philadelphia 76ers found themselves in almost unfamiliar territory as they won a game against the Denver Nuggets on the road, breaking their recent losing skid.
The Sixers beat the Nuggets 103-89 on Thursday night, breaking their five-game losing streak while setting Denver off on a two-game skid of their own.
Philly’s still without their big man, Joel Embiid (27), who’s been out for six games now while sitting in the NBA’s Covid-19 protocols since last early last week.
Along with missing Ben Simmons, Danny Green, and other notable names, the Sixers came into Thursday night almost written off before the opening tip.
But Philly had other ideas as they stayed entangled with the Nuggets in the first half before taking control in the second half, holding Denver to only 37 second-half points.
Most of the Sixers’ success came by way of shutting down the supporting cast of Denver’s reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic, who did get his points, but hardly had help from his teammates on offense.
As a team, terrible overall shooting is what ultimately did Denver in, even though Jokic did his part.
The player spotlight
Stepping up for the short-handed Sixers was rookie point guard Tyrese Maxey (21), who took the opportunity to lead his team in scoring for the game.
With so many regulars out for Philly, it was indeed a team effort.
Still, it was Maxey that stood out for a squad that needed a win sooner, rather than later.
While Embiid, the Sixers' biggest offensive weapon, has been out, Maxey has quietly moved up to become the team’s third-highest scorer at 17.8 points per game.
He finished the night with 9-for-15 shooting, 22 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
The big picture
Though it seems Ben Simmons might not ever return to the team as he's dealing with his off-the-court issues, and it’s not quite known when Embiid will come back from the Covid-19 protocols, the Sixers still have a winning record.
So far.
It took them a while, but after six games, they made all the necessary adjustments and finally have a win. It's something to build on since it seems Embiid will get back into the thick of things well before the rest of his missing teammates.
On Saturday, the Sixers continue their road trip in Portland to take on the Trailblazers, while on Friday night, the Nuggets stay at home to host the Bulls.
Cover photo: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire