Key Takeaways From 76ers' Wednesday Loss vs. Timberwolves
With little rest coming off of a Tuesday night loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Philadelphia 76ers hit the court again on Wednesday night for a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Heading into the matchup, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse speculated that the rotation could expand, and the absence of the team’s star center could be in play. As Joel Embiid’s been dealing with hip soreness, entering three of the previous five games listed as questionable, Embiid figured he might get the night off.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Sixers confirmed Embiid would miss his first set of action all season long. While the absence was understandable considering the quick turnaround, the timing was unfortunate since the Sixers were paying a visit to the Timberwolves, who have been dominating in the Western Conference. Heading into their matchup with the Sixers, the Timberwolves held a conference-best 10-3 record.
The Sixers knew that running through the Target Center wouldn’t be a walk in the park on Wednesday night. The 76ers put up a good fight through four quarters of action, but they’ll head into the holiday with a second-straight loss after coming up short 112-99.
The Takeaways
Marcus Morris’s First Action as a Starter
The Sixers opted against utilizing a center in the starting five. That wasn’t the decision that came with a shock factor, though. Nick Nurse decided to roll out Marcus Morris in the starting lineup, as he became the third former Clippers veteran to make an appearance in the Sixers’ starting five since the deal went down.
Morris’s first seven appearances on the Sixers displayed a lot of rust. Totaling 50 minutes, Morris posted an effective field goal percentage of 35 percent. On Wednesday, Morris was getting an opportunity to get some extended run to state a case to stick around in the rotation.
His first shift was a tough showing. In three minutes, Morris picked up two points and one assist. Two fouls in less than four minutes sent him to the bench early. He left the lineup as a minus-five.
When he re-entered the game in the second quarter, Morris did a much better job in his role of being a veteran defensive presence and taking shots when they were available to him. He drilled a three-ball and dished out an assist as the Sixers put together an impressive second-quarter showing.
A rough start was completely erased in the third quarter. Picking up another five minutes of action, Morris had his best stretch by far as a member of the Sixers. Launching six shots from the field, Morris hit on four of his attempts, with two of them coming from beyond the arc. He led the Sixers with 11 points in the third quarter.
Starting Morris was a decision that many viewed as a head-scratcher, but he didn’t let the head coach down. Morris finished the night with 16 points on 50 percent shooting, along with four rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal.
Tobias Harris Kept the Sixers Fighting
The first quarter went exactly how one might’ve expected to go for a team that’s on the road for the second night of a back to back without their best player for the first time all season. The Timberwolves were dominant on both sides of the floor, holding the Sixers to under 36 percent from the field and forcing seven turnovers to generate 13 points. Offensively, the Wolves nearly hung 40 on the Sixers, outscoring them by as many as 19 points in the opening quarter.
Somebody had to step up, and Tobias Harris took charge in the second quarter to give the Sixers a fighting chance. Nick Nurse kept rolling with the hot hand, keeping Harris on the floor for the entire quarter. He knocked down three field goals and three free throws to score nine points. Harris also grabbed four boards and produced two assists. The duo of Harris and De’Anthony Melton helped the Sixers outscore the Wolves before the half to make it a single-digit game.
Harris set the tone for the Sixers in the second quarter. He sent a message to his teammates, letting them know that the unfortunate circumstances wouldn’t automatically result in a scheduled loss. The effort was admirable, but the Timberwolves took total advantage of Philly’s shortcomings.
Jaden Springer’s Playing Time is Telling
Following Tuesday’s loss against Cleveland, Nick Nurse mentioned that low-minute players would see their playing time increased with the back-to-back. A situation like that would surely benefit a player who’s looking to solidify his spot in the team’s rotation.
The young guard Jaden Springer showed flashes last week with his increased minutes. After failing to see the court in back-to-back games against the Indiana Pacers, Springer went ahead and averaged 20 minutes on the floor over the next three games. Against Cleveland, Springer barely saw the court for seven minutes. In Minnesota, he played just three minutes before the game reached garbage time.
We shouldn’t read too deep into two-game sample sizes, but it appears Springer still doesn’t have a permanent role in Philly’s rotation in late November.
