Several reasons for the Sixers’ two-game skid | Off the Dribble

The 76ers have hit a slight bump in the road, having lost two in a row before facing a monumental challenge Monday against the sizzling Utah Jazz, a game that will pit the top team in the Eastern Conference against the best in the West.

Two-game losing streaks are no big deal in the NBA, but it is only the second multigame skid this season for the Sixers, so it gets a little more scrutiny.

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Many of the same problems have occurred in the Sixers’ last two losses, Saturday’s 120-111 defeat at Phoenix and Thursday’s 118-114 setback at Portland.

Bad defense

The Suns shot 60.8% from the field, including 40% from three-point range. During Thursday’s 118-114 loss at Portland, the Trail Blazers shot 17-for-38 (44.7%) from three-point range.

The bench coming up short

Phoenix’s reserves had a 49-20 scoring advantage. Dario Saric, who ended with 15 points, was at one point outscoring the entire bench of his former Sixers team. Portland owned a 45-19 bench scoring advantage against the Sixers. In that game, Sixers reserves totaled one assist.

It must be noted that the loss of Shake Milton, who missed the last two games after spraining his left ankle in Tuesday’s 119-111 win over Sacramento, has been huge for the Sixers. Milton is averaging 14 points.

The Sixers (18-9) are 1-4 with Milton out of the lineup, but teams are always missing key players and have to overcome that. Portland did it twice in a week to beat the Sixers both times.

More needed from Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris in late-game situations

The Sixers were outscored by 34-30 in the fourth quarter against Phoenix and 29-21 in the fourth quarter against Portland. In both games, Simmons and Harris weren’t a big factor in the final 12 minutes.

Harris was 0-for-4 in the fourth quarter with two points against Portland and didn’t attempt a shot or score in the final period against Phoenix. Simmons scored four points against Portland, making both of his field-goal attempts, and scored just two points on two free throws in the final quarter against Phoenix.

With two straight losses, the world isn’t coming apart for the Sixers, but these defeats show that there is plenty to work on.

Simmons suggested after Saturday’s loss that the Sixers’ standing as the top seed in the Eastern Conference provides more motivation for opponents.

“We got to know that teams will want to come out and want to punch us in the face,” Simmons said. “We’ve got to expect that every night. I don’t know if there is any team out there that’s going to take us lightly, especially for one of the top teams in the East. Everybody wants to play the top team, so we’ve got to go out there and be ready for teams.”

There might be some of that for sure, but the other fact is that the Sixers are facing really good teams. Portland beat the Sixers twice within a week despite an injury-depleted lineup both games, especially in the Trail Blazers’ 121-105 victory in Philadelphia, when top scorer Damian Lillard was among the regulars out.

Phoenix (16-9), which hasn’t qualified for the playoffs since 2010, won’t be considered a Western Conference favorite, but good luck to any team that has to deal with that backcourt of Chris Paul and Devin Booker, which combined for 54 points against the Sixers.

If there is any silver lining, the Sixers, at least, have been able to play more quality teams lately.

It won’t get any easier Monday when the Sixers have to visit the Utah Jazz (22-5), a viable NBA title contender. The Jazz have won seven in a row and 18 of their last 19.

Swingman Danny Green says the Sixers will benefit from the last two games.

“I think these wake-up calls were much needed,” Green said.

If a star player hangs around long enough, he is bound to make the record books, even in a negative fashion.

That is what happened Friday when LeBron James became the all-time NBA leader in turnovers. James had five in a 115-105 win over Memphis, giving him 4,526 in his career, according to basketball-reference.com. (The NBA first started tracking turnovers for individuals in the 1977-78 season.)

Here are the top 10 all-time (active players in bold):

1. LeBron James, 4,526

2. Karl Malone, 4,524

3. John Stockton, 4,244

4. Kobe Bryant, 4,010

5. Jason Kidd, 4,003

6. Moses Malone, 3,804

7. Isiah Thomas, 3,682

8. Hakeem Olajuwon, 3,667

9. Russell Westbrook, 3,659

10. Patrick Ewing, 3,537

Of the 10, eight are Hall of Famers. The only exceptions are James and Westbrook, who will be Hall of Fame selections when eligible.

Among former Sixers, Allen Iverson is 19th with 3,262. Iverson committed 2,662 of those turnovers with the Sixers.

Current Sixers backup center Dwight Howard is 21st overall with 3,192, but has committed just 49 in this, his first season in Philadelphia.

Monday: Sixers at Utah Jazz, 9 p.m., Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah, NBC Sports Philadelphia

Wednesday: Houston Rockets at Sixers, 7:30 p.m., Wells Fargo Center, ESPN/NBC Sports Philadelphia

Friday: Chicago Bulls at Sixers, 7:30 p.m., Wells Fargo Center, ESPN/NBC Sports Philadelphia

Sunday: Sixers vs. Toronto Raptors, 7 p.m. Amalie Arena, Tampa, Fla., NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Feb. 23: Sixers vs. Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m., Amalie Arena, Tampa, Fla., NBC Sports Philadelphia

Question: It seems Ben has improved as far as being aggressive to the hoop, but he still isn’t shooting. Do you envision a game where he plays great, but he’s not on the offensive floor in the final seconds of a tight game? — @coachchrislu on Twitter

Answer: Great question, Coach, and thanks for sending it in. I don’t think that Doc Rivers would take Simmons out of late-game situations or even use an offense-defensive substitution pattern with him. The main reason is that Simmons is shooting free throws better. While he isn’t a great free-throw shooter, he is up to a career-best 63.9%. That is enough to leave him on the court.

What Rivers should do is attempt to persuade Simmons to be more of a late-game factor, even as a post-up option. According to NBA.com stats, Simmons averages 3.0 points in the fourth quarter, his lowest total. I feel Rivers has done a lot to help Simmons’ confidence and he should show the two-time All-Star how important it is to pose as a late-game offensive threat.