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Philadelphia 76ers fall in Jimmy Butler’s road debut

By Jerran Anderson

ORLANDO, FL - NOVEMBER 14: Ben Simmons #25, Joel Embiid #21, and Jimmy Butler #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers talk during the game against the Orlando Magic on November 14, 2018 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - NOVEMBER 14: Ben Simmons #25, Joel Embiid #21, and Jimmy Butler #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers talk during the game against the Orlando Magic on November 14, 2018 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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One game into the Jimmy Butler era and it was more of the same for the Philadelphia 76ers, as they lost to the Orlando Magic in his debut.

The Philadelphia 76ers looked to get their second road victory in a row, this time over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night in Jimmy Butler‘s debut, but Orlando played spoiler for the Sixers as they fell apart down the stretch in a 111-106 loss.

There were a lot of moving pieces in Butler’s debut, as second-year guard Markelle Fultz was moved out of the starting rotation for J.J. Redick. Wilson Chandler also made his first start for Philadelphia with the departure of Dario Saric.

Butler finished with 14 points, four rebounds and two assists in the Sixers’ latest road loss, showing that adjustments still need to be made for this team to take the next step.

The fourth quarter continues to be the biggest weakness for this squad. They played three quarters of team basketball and it showed with an 87-76 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Just one game after beating the Miami Heat convincingly on the road on Monday night, Philadelphia’s road woes came creeping back up on them in the fourth quarter. Butler went scoreless in the final frame of the game with two fouls as the Magic outscored the Sixers, 35-19, to take the victory in the final minutes.

The Sixers turned the ball over six times in the fourth quarter. Redick had three of them. Between costly turnovers and Joel Embiid going 1-for-6 from the field, it’s no wonder Philadelphia couldn’t get a win.

On the bright side, Embiid finished with the first triple-double of his career (19 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists), while leading the team in assists. Philly finished the game with 32 assists on 41 made shots and made 14-of-29 3-pointers despite the final outcome. Point forward Ben Simmons took just five shot attempts all game and finished with nine points and six assists.

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Now, the Sixers are 2-7 on the road this season, a record that needs to improve drastically if they hope to contend for the Eastern Conference title. Luckily for them, four of their next five games are at home, so there’s time to build some rapport with Butler and the starting rotation.