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Sixers-Magic observations: Philly not above a first-round exit

The 76ers are having a tough time making stops and are getting abused in pick-and-rolls.

The Magic's Terrence Ross, right, drives down the court in front of the 76ers' Tobias Harris after a steal during the second half.
The Magic's Terrence Ross, right, drives down the court in front of the 76ers' Tobias Harris after a steal during the second half.Read moreJohn Raoux / AP

ORLANDO — The Orlando Magic defeated the 76ers, 119-98, Monday night at the Amway Center.

Here are some observations and best and worst awards:

Three observations

- The Sixers had us tricked into thinking that they had made defensive improvements. However, in reality, it appears they’ve taken a step backward. They are having a tough time making stops and are getting abused in pick-and-rolls. Their late rotations lead to wide-open three-pointers. Magic players were so open at times that their three-pointers resembled ones taken during pregame warmups.

- Philly isn’t above suffering a first-round elimination in the playoffs. Coach Brett Brown will tell you that the Sixers are trying to secure the third seed for an easier path to the postseason. But that might not even help if they continue to play the way they did against the Magic and Saturday against the rebuilding Atlanta Hawks.

- The Sixers should consider giving Jonathon Simmons more run in the final eight games of the regular season. The seldom-used reserve swingman is known for being a defensive stopper. We all know they could use an additional one.

Best and worst awards

- Best performance: This award goes to Michael Carter-Williams on a night that Nik Vucevic (28 points) and Evan Fournier (24) had more points than the former Sixer, who’s on a second 10-day contract in Orlando. However, his impact was huge. The reserve point guard had 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting to go with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in 19 minutes, 42 seconds.

- Worst performance: I had to give this to JJ Redick. The Sixers shooting guard missed 8 of his 10 shots. He went 1-for-7 on three-pointers en route to scoring 8 points.

- Best defensive performance: This goes to Carter-Williams, who was solid on both ends of the court.

- Worst statistic: The Sixers were held without a field goal for 11 minutes, 42 seconds. They missed 15 consecutive field goals during that stretch.

-Best statistic: The Sixers shot 64.7 percent in the first quarter, making 11 of 17 shots.