By: Kylan Watson

The Philadelphia 76ers traveled to Minnesota to face off with the surging Timberwolves. The Wolves could not miss this game and Philly just did not have the answer for what they were doing offensively. The Wolves beat them 112-99.

Philly played like a team that had a tough contest last night, they had tired legs and just could not hit anything to start this contest. Minnesota did not have that issue, they hit their shots early and were able to get out to a 17-point lead. Anthony Edwards scored 31-points (Hit five/nine three-pointers from the field) in the contest and the Sixers had no answers for him. His offseason work showed up in this game as he was able to hit shots from the perimeter with a hand in his face. He has gone from one of the most inconsistent shooters in the league to one of the best ones. His hot shooting has Minnesota as one of the best teams in the loaded Western Conference. The defensive attention he got opened up the lane for his teammates to attack it and without Joel Embiid in the paint as a deterrent the lane was open for business in this contest. Philly’s defenders got in early foul trouble which just added another dimension to one of the most dynamic offenses in the league. If they did not hit shots, they put more fouls on a severely under-manned Sixers squad.

Despite not having Joel Embiid and having every reason to give up on this game. The Sixers made this a contest and the bench unit showed up tonight and kept them in this contest. Marcus Morris Sr. got the start at center, and he made the most of his increased offensive opportunities. He scored 16-points (hit three/five three-pointers tonight) and if he can use this game as a jumping off point then Philly will have one of the deepest benches in the league. Morris has not really gotten many opportunities since being traded to the Sixers from the Clippers. Tonight was his best game so far and if he can find his offensive rhythm he should be added to the rotation and add to the depth off the bench. He was one of the few players that came to play tonight, the Sixers just could not hit shots tonight and that kept them from winning this contest. The schedule did them no favors tonight, but their lack of effort on the defensive side showed up tonight, they will need to find their defensive rhythm and rest up as they prepare to face the OKC Thunder on Saturday night.

The Sixers will now get some rest and prepare for another dynamic young team in the Oklahoma City Thunder. They should get Joel Embiid back for that contest so that should add to the defensive capability of this team. However, even with Embiid back it will be important for the Sixers to grab rebounds and limit the Thunder to one opportunity on the offensive side. Additionally, Philly will need to continue to move the ball around to create high percentage shot opportunities. When the Sixers play within their offensive system, they are one of the best teams in the league. If they can implement these things, they can get their 11^th victory of the season.