The Philadelphia 76ers fifth game of the season resulted in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers by the narrowest of margins, 102-101. Here are the grades of the starters plus sixth man
The Philadelphia 76ers lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers Saturday evening November 5, 2016 by the heartbreaking score of 102-101.
The team tried to finally break into the win column by taking a five point lead after falling behind the defending NBA Champion Cavaliers by 18 points. However, the team continued the tradition of shooting itself in the foot, turning the ball over five times in the last five possessions.
Still, the team had little hope of winning going into the game, and gave the Cavaliers all they could handle. Will it be enough of a moral victory to help the Sixers finally get a win, or will the hapless way of squandering another lead in a winnable game continue to submerge the young team?
In the end, it was a surprisingly close performance for a 12 point favored Cleveland Cavalier team. While the Philadelphia 76ers made it close, it will still land in the loss column. Whether the team will be disheartened by squandering a winnable game, or take heart in the knowledge that despite a handicapped roster, the team nearly defeated the defending NBA Champion Cavaliers.
The team is better than last season. How much better will be determined by which direction they take after this close loss.