III. Team fell within one shot at the end of tying, and perhaps pulling out win
If the NFL is the game of inches, then the NBA is the game of shots falling. In the case of the Philadelphia 76ers, just one shot to hit as time wore down would have tied the game, and perhaps allowed the team to pull out a win. And the team had the ball and the shooter in place to tie the game.
It didn’t fall.
The Indiana Pacers walked away with a huge win in a streak of wins. Philadelphia 76ers must now regroup, with the image of a failed shot burning in the back of their minds. They won’t be comfortable now until the end of a season.
A costly experience for an inexperienced team
Perhaps that is not such a bad thing after all?!?! After all, one definition of wisdom is simply living long enough to get all of the wrong ways to do things crossed off the list. Clearly, the Philadelphia 76ers starting five matched up very well to the Indiana Pacers starters. And the front office, the “basketball-minded” folks who know the NBA so well, failed the team. Failed in that this bench was still not solid enough to contribute enough.
And that’s on Bryan Colangelo. And to a lesser extent upon the coaching staff. The team is now ending their second season with Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, a third season with Richaun Holmes or Justin Anderson. If the Pacers could get quality minutes out of second year Domanas Sabonis, then why are the 76ers struggling to get minutes out of TLC and Holmes? Is it that the players have truly plateaued? Are the coaches so focused on Markelle Fultz that the remainder of the roster left in limbo? Or is there a decision from the guy in the big chair to play his free agents at the expense of the younger guys? However the case, the team lost a valuable opportunity to get younger guys seasoned for the upcoming playaoffs.