Shorthanded Sixers can’t complete rally in 132-123 loss to Atlanta Hawks
Without Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Andre Drummond in the lineup, Quentin Grimes carried the scoring load for the Sixers with a game-high 35 points.
ATLANTA — The last time the Sixers took the court at State Farm Arena, Paul George hyperextended his knee for the first time as a 76er during a preseason game.
Perhaps that was the omen for what was about to unfold during this dreadful Sixers season. Nearly five months later, to the day, George was again sidelined against the Atlanta Hawks because of an injury. Ditto for Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr., Andre Drummond, and, of course, Joel Embiid.
That left the Sixers with nine available players, including a starting lineup featuring one undrafted rookie (Justin Edwards), two trade-deadline acquisitions (Quentin Grimes and Jared Butler), and two players who were in Europe within the past year (Guerschon Yabusele and Lonnie Walker IV).
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The severely shorthanded Sixers dug too big of a hole against the less-shorthanded Hawks, falling 132-123 despite a furious late rally Monday night in their 15th loss in their past 18 games dating back to Jan. 31.
“You get going the wrong way a little bit,” coach Nick Nurse said after the game. “I’m just trying to keep them fighting. They did a great job of that, of continuing to try to get back in the game, and they almost did it.”
Still, it was a good result for those now rooting for Sixers defeats — and increased draft lottery odds — with 18 regular-season games remaining. It moved them back into the NBA’s sixth-worst record, “ahead” of the Brooklyn Nets who beat the Los Angeles Lakers Monday. The Sixers also now are a half-game “back” of the Toronto Raptors, who have the fifth-worst record but topped the Washington Wizards Monday ahead of Wednesday’s matchup against the Sixers in Toronto.
The Sixers (22-42) said before Monday’s game that George (groin) will also at least miss Wednesday’s matchup, and will be reevaluated prior to Friday’s home game against the Indiana Pacers. Oubre (sprained ankle) is considered day to day, while Maxey (back/finger) is traveling on this road trip.
That undermanned Sixers group hung around for Monday’s first quarter, trailing 33-31. But the Hawks (31-34) — who played without star point guard Trae Young and newcomer Caris LeVert — initially opened a 62-46 second-quarter lead on a crafty finish inside by rookie Zaccharie Risacher, an example of how Atlanta got to the basket with ease with dribble penetration and moves in the lane.
The Sixers got the deficit down to 66-59 on a Walker driving finish early in the third. Then the Hawks immediately re-extended their advantage to 81-64 when Mouhamed Gueye followed a three-pointer with a two-handed dunk that prompted Nurse to call a timeout. Atlanta’s lead eventually stretched to 105-83 on another deep shot by Gueye early in the fourth, before Grimes fueled a late rally to get the Sixers within single digits in the waning minutes.
Grimes finished with 35 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and three steals in his latest impressive outing, while again filling in as the Sixers’ lead guard. Risacher, the first overall pick in last summer’s NBA draft, finished with 22 points and eight rebounds for the Hawks.