Three reasons the Sixers lost to the Denver Nuggets

For the second game in a row, the 76ers lost to a team that is considered a Western Conference contender. Tuesday’s 104-95 loss at Denver came three days after a 122-112 defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Besides the fact that Joel Embiid missed his ninth straight game because of a bone bruise in his left knee, here are three reasons the Sixers lost:

After the game, coach Doc Rivers talked about how the Sixers weren’t ready to play from the beginning. In the first quarter, the Nuggets outscored the Sixers by 44-22, and it was really never a game after that. None of the Sixers’ starters played in the fourth quarter.

Denver shot 7-for-10 from three-point range in the first quarter. The Sixers failed to challenge the Nuggets on many of those threes. It might have been one of the Sixers’ worst defensive quarters all season.

Denver also had success with the pick-and-roll, as we see Jamal Murray finding Nikola Jokic on this early basket.

The Sixers offense also struggled, shooting just 2-for-7 from three-point range in the quarter and also committing five turnovers. Even though the Sixers kept fighting, the first-quarter deficit against a team that looks like a Western Conference contender was too much to overcome.

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For the game, the Nuggets shot 38% from three-point range, but that is a deceptive stat. Especially since they were 1-for-7 in the fourth quarter, when the game was essentially over. Actually, the Sixers did a better job after the first quarter, but Denver set the tone with so many wide-open threes.

Like many of his teammates, the Nuggets’ Murray set the tone early. The Sixers barely outscored Murray (22-16) in the first quarter. No matter whom the Sixers put on Murray, they were unable to cool him off.

Murry finished with 30 points. He shot 12-for-24, including 5-for-11 from three-point range. In looking at his 12 field goals, he scored over six Sixers defenders.

Even when the Sixers had good defense, Murray still scored. Here is an example, on a step-back three over Matisse Thybulle, who was playing tight defense.

Murray was also effective going to the basket, as we see on this drive past Ben Simmons.

In short, the Sixers had nobody who could contain him. Murray also had four assists and no turnovers, in a highly efficient performance.