Sixers-Magic best and worst: Another lackluster effort against a struggling team
The Sixers looked nothing like the team that defeated the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas.
ORLANDO — Here is my look at some of the best and worst performances from the 76ers’ 98-97 loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday night at Amway Center.
Best performance: I had to give this award to Evan Fournier. The Magic shooting guard finished with a team-high 20 points on 8-for-14 and had two steals. Nine of his points and one of his steals came in the fourth quarter. With the Magic clinging to a three-point lead, Fournier stole the inbounds pass and was fouled by Tobias Harris. He made split a pair of foul shots to give Orlando a 98-94 advantage.
Worst performance: This was a tough one, but I had to give this award to Furkan Korkmaz for going missing in action after intermission. The Sixers reserve guard finished with seven points on 3-for-9 shooting in addition to finishing with two steals and three turnovers in 21 minutes, 31 seconds. However, he only attempted one shot — a miss — in the second half. That shot came in the third quarter. His only other stat in the second half was a turnover.
Best defensive performance: This award goes to Jonathan Isaac. The Magic forward had three blocks to go with one steal.
Worst statistic: I have to give this to the Magic’s foul shooting. Orlando only made 60.9% (14 of 23) — including 7 of 13 in the fourth quarter. Their misses from the foul line allowed the Sixers to get back into what should have been a double-digit setback.
Best statistic: This goes to the Sixers’ first-half foul shooting. They shot 90.9% (10 of 11) from the foul line.
Worst of the worst: I had to give this to the Sixers’ lackluster effort. They looked nothing like the team that defeated the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas. But Friday’s effort is far from surprising. The Sixers play to the level of their competition, which, once again, led to a defeat by a losing team.