By: Kylan Watson

After a week off for the All-Star break the Philadelphia 76ers faced the Boston Celtics for the third time this season. The Celtics broke this game wide-open midway through the second quarter thanks to a three-point barrage Boston was able to beat the Sixers 124-104.

Early in the contest the Sixers were able to take advantage of the fact that they were the bigger team. They hunted mismatches and it created multiple high-percentage shooting opportunities for them. That allowed them to erase an early Boston lead. However, they just could not hit the wide-open three-point opportunities that the Celtics gave them.

Philly only made eight three pointers in this game to Boston’s 24, you cannot get outshot by 16 in a rivalry game, and think you are going to come out on top. This has been consistent throughout the 2024-25 NBA regular season for the Sixers, it does not matter how many three-point shooters the front office adds to the team, no one can consistently hit the shots besides  Paul George (17 points), Tyrese Maxey (16 points), and Joel Embiid (15 points). That must change for the Sixers to turn their season around and end this six-game losing streak.

While the Sixers could not hit their three-point opportunities, Boston had no problem putting points on the board from beyond the arc. They made 24/54 of their three-point shots. Payton Pritchard was the high man for them he scored 28 points and made eight three pointers in this contest. The Sixers continued to give him wide-open three- pointers and he made them pay every time. He singlehandedly outscored the Sixers second unit himself.

Pritchard was the biggest difference maker in this game without his scoring and three-point shooting this game might have been more competitive. In a game where all the star players on both sides did not have it, he put on a show in Philly and propelled his team to a decisive victory over their conference rival.

During this losing streak, the production from the lack of production from the second unit has also been a huge detriment to the Sixers. Their bench unit has continued to only produce single digit point totals in the last six games and those have resulted in losses for Philly. Nick Nurse must find someone who can produce from the second unit. The Jared McCain injury has left a big hole in the Sixers second unit.

One thing he needs to consider is moving Kelly Oubre Jr. to the bench unit and moving Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele into the starting line-up. That should give their best and defensively advantageous starting line-up and give the second unit a consistent difference maker off the bench that they have been missing. Saturday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets should provide Nurse with an opportunity to try this line-up out. Against a Brooklyn squad that has given the Sixers a lot of trouble throughout this season, and having a lengthy line-up in against their shooters should slowdown Brooklyn’s offense which can be explosive when they are making their shots.

These next couple of games will determine which route the Sixers will take throughout the next 27 games left in this season. It is starting to get dark fast for Philly and they must start doing the little things that win games and start attacking the rim more.

Implementing these things into their game plan on Saturday night should allow Philly to finally get back in the win column and start building momentum for the rest of the season. Having the fourth easiest schedule in the league should also work in their favor to gain some ground in the Eastern Conference standings. However, they will have to do their part to make that a reality by winning these games.