Despite going up by as much as 15 early in the fourth quarter, the Philadelphia 76ers managed to outdo themselves and almost completely squander their lead in the final frame as they registered an unimpressive win over the cellar-dwelling Washington Wizards.
Washington, which entered this game comfortably touting the worst record in the league, Quickly fell into a hole in the first half, but a fourth quarter barrage kept them in the game as they even briefly held a lead. Luckily, Phillyn was able to string out an 8-0 flurry to end the game thanks to Tyrese Maxey and Guerschon Yabusele’s heroics, netting them their 15th win of the season to climb to 15-20.
The 76ers were without both Joel Embiid and Paul George while also still missing Andre Drummond and KJ Martin, who remained sidelined due to injuries. Philly remains tightly seated at 11th place out East, and while the gap is only minimal, the teams above them have been winning as of late, making it tough for the 76ers to climb faster.
The 76ers badly need to address their rebounding woes
Despite the win, the 76ers were badly exploited on the boards by the Wizards, which has been a frequent sight this season, Philadelphia clocks in as the second worst team in the league in rebounds per game while also being dead-last in defensive rebounding.
Washington out-rebounded Philadelphia 52-36, although the 76ers were very lucky that the Wizards’ offensive futility prevented them from fully capitalizing on that advantage. Nevertheless, Jonas Valanciunas and Richaun Holmes had a field day against the hosts, which were missing their two natural centers.
But to toss this one up to the 76ers not having Embiid and Drummond would be farcical. Even when the two were available, Philly was constantly getting outrebounded on a nightly basis, making this a team-wide issue that the front office must address with utmost urgency.
The trade market should be ample enough to give the front office some leeway in seeking out help for the team in this regard. Even when Embiid and Drummond returns, the 76ers have clearly needed more reinforcements in the frontcourt not only for rebounding insurance, but also depth.
It is still a month before the trade deadline, so the Philadelphia 76ers should have no issues getting this one done. Whether it be via the trade or buyout market or perhaps even the G-League, the front office has no choice but to address this one.