The Sixer Sense
Fansided

RECAP: Philadelphia 76ers 107, Denver Nuggets 102

By Alec Liebsch

DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 30: Richaun Holmes #22 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets jump for the rebound on December 30, 2017 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. 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 Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 30: Richaun Holmes #22 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets jump for the rebound on December 30, 2017 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. 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 Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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In a playoff environment, the Philadelphia 76ers grinded their way to a win without their most valuable player.

These Philadelphia 76ers must love hiking. After a slow start, and despite a mediocre performance from their best active player, the 76ers found a way to win without Joel Embiid. Their last win without Embiid? In Salt Lake City, another mountainous town.

The altitude seemed to have the Sixers a step behind on defense early on. But an unusual hot stretch to end the third quarter (considering how many leads have been blown recently) catapulted the team to a lead they never looked back on.

Getting extra help from the supporting cast was a necessary ingredient to winning without the team’s leading scorer, and boy did they step up to the challenge, as six players (and three non-starters) finished in double figures.

A. | 35 mins | 20 pts | 9 reb | 6 ast | 0 stl | 1 blk | TO | 6-15 FG | 3-7 3PT | 5-5 FT | 2 PF | -8 +/- | <strong>Summary:</strong> Dario’s hustle and grit is always a warm welcome, but tonight they were a necessity without Joel Embiid in the lineup. The metrics were not in his favor, but the fact that he had to defend Jokic for the majority of the night was the main cause for that. Asking a small center to guard a superstar big man is a…tall order, to say the least. His clutch rebound with 19 seconds left was crucial in maintaining control as time expired (which is especially necessary considering the team’s recent history).. F. Philadelphia 76ers. DARIO SARIC

| 32 mins | 6 pts | 6 reb | 6 ast | 0 stl | 1 blk | 5 TO | 3-9 FG | 0-0 3PT | FT | PF | -11 +/- | <strong>Summary:</strong> Not quite the best performance of the year for Simmons. He did a solid job as the conductor of the offense, but his standards no longer revolve around being “solid.” He also got into uncharacteristic foul trouble, which hampered his ability to defend late in the game.. G. Philadelphia 76ers. BEN SIMMONS. C+

B+. | 19 mins | 14 pts | 3 reb | 3 ast | 0 stl | 1 blk | 0 TO | 6-12 FG | 0-1 3PT | 2-3 FT | 6 PF (fouled out) | +9 +/- |<p><strong>Summary:</strong> Look who finally got in the game! After an absence from the rotation that seemed longer than Joel Embiid’s two-year hiatus from basketball altogether, Holmes’s energy and strong finishing were a wonderful addition to the fray. Unfortunately, he was once again snubbed by the referees for his intensity, and forced to sit out the last four minutes.</p>. PF/C. Philadelphia 76ers. RICHAUN HOLMES

B. | 26 mins | 18 pts | 1 reb | 2 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 8-15 FG | 2-4 3PT | 0-0 FT | 2 PF | -6 +/- | <strong>Summary:</strong> Redick’s long two was falling tonight, and while that stings analytically, it helped open up the offense for a team suffocated by poor shooting (and thin air). Redick’s game was not pretty tonight, but it worked. And that’s what matters.. SG. Philadelphia 76ers. J.J. REDICK

B+. | 35 mins | 15 pts | 10 reb | 3 ast | 2 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 6-11 FG | 1-6 3PT | 2-2 FT | 2 PF |  +5 +/- | <strong>Summary:</strong> Covington, as usual, felt like a non-factor from the naked eye because he was broke from beyond the arc. But, as usual, he found ways to contribute to winning basketball in less recognized ways. His defensive presence was vital down the stretch, using every inch of his 7-foot wingspan to lead the team in rebounding, and he was also found streaking down the court by Saric as the seconds ticked down to seal the win.. F. Philadelphia 76ers. ROBERT COVINGTON

Bonus grade:

JERRYD BAYLESS. A-. | 20 mins | 14 pts | 1 reb | 0 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 2 TO | 6-10 FG | 2-3 3PT | 0-0 FT | 1 PF | +22 +/- | <strong>Summary: </strong>What a second half for the man whose head has been called for in recent weeks. For that stretch in the third, it seemed like the rim was 10-times bigger than normal for him. His string of threes in that burst was a momentum swing for a team starved for shooting. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for a player whose main value is as a bucket-getter.. G. Philadelphia 76ers

Jamal Murray blew by [insert defender] on seemingly every play, and finished with 31 points. Denver had four other players in double digits by the end of the night also, which is a common denominator on most nights for their egalitarian offense.

Next: What's wrong with the Sixers?

Somehow, some way, these young 76ers found a way to beat a playoff-caliber team without Embiid and arguably without the Simmons most have come to know and love. One can hope this is the end of their cold streak.