Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse addressed the loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Philadelphia 76ers closed out their five-game West Coast road trip with a disappointing blowout loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland got the better of the Sixers, handing them a 135-118 loss.
After the game, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse addressed the loss, saying the game slipped away in the third quarter for the 76ers.
“I mean, obviously, there was a bunch of energy things," Nurse said. "We didn't rebound it well enough, I mean, transition rebounding, and didn't get out to shooters near enough; they were just lacing up, so it was up the floor quick. We were losing matchups… when we made a miss. They were getting them back and kicking them straight out for again no contest three.”
Nurse continued to elaborate on how the Blazers capitalized on those breakdowns, saying, "We have to keep playing those possessions out, and we didn’t seem to have enough juice to do it there for a stretch. They blew it wide open, knocked down eight threes in the third quarter, turned it over, and gave him some transition, so it's just a really bad third quarter.”
The 76ers, who were without Embiid for the contest, controlled most of the first half before the game swung in the third quarter. The Blazers took over offensively, outscoring the 76ers by as many as 20 points in the second half, 49-22, and didn't look back as their dominance would linger in the second half.
The Blazers were led by Toumani Camara, who delivered a career high with 30 points, knocking down several big-time shots to keep the score lopsided. First-time All-Star Deni Avdija had 26 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.
Despite the loss, the 76ers got a great performance from Tyrese Maxey, who scored 30 points, along with Kelly Oubre Jr., who had 19 points, four steals, and two blocks. V.J. Edgecombe had 11 points, six rebounds, and two blocks.
With their West Coast road trip in the rearview mirror, the 76ers would prepare to take on the New York Knicks on Wednesday before the NBA All-Star break.
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