Three reasons the Sixers lost to Memphis
There were many reasons for the loss, including the fact that the Sixers allowed too many uncontested three-pointers.
Playing their second game of a back-to-back, with Joel Embiid out due to left knee recovery, the 76ers had no legs or shooting eyes during Sunday’s 116-100 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies at the Wells Fargo Center.
The game wasn’t as close as the final score indicated as the Sixers outscored Memphis, 29-19, in the fourth quarter when the game had already been settled.
Here are three reasons for the loss:
Three-point defense
The Grizzlies shot 16-for-38 from three-point range (42.1%) and were even better through three quarters (48.3%) when the game had been decided.
On this three-pointer by Grayson Allen, look how late the Sixers’ defense is in contesting his shot.
On this three-pointer by De’Anthony Melton, Matisse Thybulle is there, but doesn’t contest the shot. It was that kind of night for the Grizzlies.
Transition defense
The Grizzlies outscored the Sixers, 25-13, in fast-break points, but 24 of those points were scored in the first three quarters, when Memphis put the game away.
As Dwight Howard said in his postgame Zoom interview, the Sixers were just a step slow.
» READ MORE: Sixers coach Doc Rivers says it was an easy decision to sit Joel Embiid against Memphis
Simply playing harder
This play is an example of the fight that Memphis showed. Point guard Ja Morant got the rebound even though Howard was in good position. Morant eventually fed Brandon Clarke for the dunk.
Morant fought for it and simply wanted the offensive rebound more. The Sixers may not have had the energy to fight, but Memphis deserves a lot of credit for playing so hard.