The Sixer Sense
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RECAP: Portland Trail Blazers 114, Philadelphia 76ers 110

By Morty Silvercarp

PORTLAND, OR - DECEMBER 28: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers on December 28, 2017 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - DECEMBER 28: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers on December 28, 2017 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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After seemingly taking control of the game in the third quarter, the Phildelphia 76ers fell back into their bad habits.

The Philadelphia 76ers once again looked like a young, inexperienced team tonight. They took a commanding lead midway through the third quarter, only to allow Portland to storm back at the start of the fourth.

The fourth quarter was an absolute nightmare, as Portland outscored Philadelphia 42-25. The Sixers kept their turnovers relatively low for the first three quarters, and then naturally coughed up the ball 5 times in the final quarter. Lazy decision-making and stagnant offense have become a cornerstone for this team late in games.

DARIO SARIC. A. <span style=. F. Philadelphia 76ers

C. Philadelphia 76ers. JOEL EMBIID. B. 34 mins | 29 pts | 9 reb | 3 ast | 0 stl | 1 blk | 4 TO | 9-21 FG | 6-12 3PT| 5-8 FT | 4 PF | 0 +/-| <strong>Summary:</strong> Embiid made a career-high six 3-pointers, but he struggled to stay consistent on offense and was a little underwhelming defensively. Embiid was sloppy with the ball in the fourth quarter and gave Portland a free fastbreak layup because of a lazy pass. He looked worn down by the end of the game.

BEN SIMMONS. B-. 33 mins | 17 pts | 4 reb | 8 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 3 TO | 7-17 FG | 0-0 3PT| 3-3 FT | 4 PF | 5 +/-| <strong>Summary</strong>: Simmons was really aggressive in the first half and it was a joy to watch. However, as the game entered the final stages, his energy and aggression weren’t the same. This has been a trend with Simmons, and the team as a whole.. PG. Philadelphia 76ers

T.J. MCCONNELL. B+. <span style=. PG. Philadelphia 76ers

B. <span style=. SG. Philadelphia 76ers. J.J. REDICK

Robert Covington left the game with a hand injury in the third quarter, and the team felt the effects of his absence on the defensive end. The whole team looked sluggish during Portland’s run, and the defensive effort was severely lacking.

The Trail Blazers definitely deserve a ton of credit for pulling out a huge comeback win without Damian Lillard. C.J. McCollum was brilliant tonight, putting up 34 points and shooting 14-14 from the free throw line.

Next: It's time to #NBAVote for Embiid, Simmons

For the Sixers, it’s another disappointing loss after a promising 36 minutes to start the game. Let’s hope they can get past these growing pains in 2018.