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Philadelphia 76ers Are Setting Records, Flailing In Crunch Time

By Jake Hyman

Nov 20, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown talks with guard T.J. McConnell (12) during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. The Hornets defeated the 76ers 113-88. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown talks with guard T.J. McConnell (12) during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. The Hornets defeated the 76ers 113-88. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Philadelphia 76ers are setting bad records but just as disappointing, they’re failing in crunch time.

The Philadelphia 76ers set the record for most consecutive losses by an NBA team Friday night against Houston (27), but are having issues not just with finding wins, but finishing games. Head coach Brett Brown hasn’t won a game leading the Sixers since Mar. 25 of last season.

Currently, he’s manning the sidelines making questionable decisions when the game is on the line. In the last four games, the Sixers have lost by only five points or less, but just delving into the box score doesn’t effectively articulate the closeness of these contests.

Philadelphia carried a 87-76 lead over the Miami Heat last Saturday with 7:13 to go in the fourth quarter. The next 8-of-9 shot attempts from the floor for the Sixers were jump shots. They made only one. This came after the team was effectively getting the ball down low for Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor to put in work on Miami’s Hassan Whiteside. Brown’s shift in mentality, along with a rash of fouls, allowed the Heat to take a 91-89 lead late — one they would never relinquish.

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    • It was a prime chance for Brown to shock the league and prevent Philadelphia from remaining the only winless team in the NBA, but refraining from taking efficient shots using your highly skilled big men is questionable.

    Miami outscored the Sixers by 20 in the second half (64-44) and were sinking shot attempts they were missing in the first half like midrange jumpers and shot attempts at the rim.

    Monday against Minnesota, the Sixers unraveled late once again, but to a more electric culprit in Andrew Wiggins. Up 86-80 with 4:58 left to go in the fourth quarter, Wiggins scored the next 11 of Minnesota’s 13 points en route to a 13-5 run. Brett Brown was immobilized on the sidelines, failing to send double teams towards Wiggins and his players consistently failed to set up plays in the half court sets due to turnovers.

    Wiggins was the only player to score more than 12 points for Minnesota, as the reigning Rookie of the Year scored 32 on 10-of-21 shooting from the floor. He was the Timberwolves’ lone threat in the starting lineup and couldn’t be contained in the fourth quarter.

    Multiple turnovers late in the fourth quarter was an apparent theme for the Sixers in their game Wednesday against the Boston Celtics. With a 77-66 lead with 6:00 to go in the fourth quarter, the Sixers turned the ball over six times as Boston climbed back into the game on converted jumpers and effort.

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    The last four possessions — while up 80-77 — were borderline abysmal for the Sixers. Three turnovers and a midrange jumper from Phil Pressey, who was added on a roster exemption, left Philadelphia 0-16. Okafor was nowhere to be found and that was apparent Friday night as well for Philly.

    Okafor had a negative-8 plus-minus rating while T.J. McConnell and Nik Stauskas had a plus-10 and plus-17 respectively off the bench. Brown sat Okafor late, as the Sixers were making their fourth quarter surge in the 116-114 spectacle Friday against the Rockets.

    It was the third-straight game Okafor was a non-factor in close games late in the fourth quarter. Tying the inconsistencies the team has demonstrated in “crunch time” with Okafor being absent during those aforementioned moments doesn’t paint a pretty picture for Brown.

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    There is a sense of certainty tied to Brown, who is in his third year of a four-year deal signed before the start of the 2013-14 season, despite the prolonged losing streak. However, with the questionable decision making and inability of his team to make efficient passes to score late in games, Brown has lost a bit of his luster. He doesn’t have the talent necessary to win consistently, but getting that first “W” is vital to shake off these late game lapses.