With a 16-13 record through their first 29 games, no one is probably penciling the Philadelphia 76ers in as title contenders this season. However, the season is only barely past its quarter mark, and there is still a chance that this team can convince a lot of people that they can make legitimate noise come playoff time.
Having said that, the 76ers actually do have some of the infrastructure needed to be included in the inner circle of championship contenders. Only very few people know this, but Philly is actually the best defensive team in the league in fourth quarters. That has to account for something, right?
As of writing, the 76ers have a 103.3 defensive rating during the final frame, which easily leads the league. As such, it should also not be surprising to discover that they have the best net rating in fourth quarters, winning them by an average of 10.9 points per outing. Clearly, this team already knows how to lock in during crunch time — something that will come in pretty handy during the playoffs.
The 76ers have become a defensive juggernaut during fourth quarters
Now, the 76ers have a 12-9 record in clutch games which undermines the fact that they are a defensive juggernaut in the fourth quarter. However, part and parcel of that is their questionable decision-making on offense to close out games. True enough, the 76ers are only 15th in offensive rating during the final period.
However, the defense, for the most part, has been very impressive in those critical situations. Much has been said about third quarters looking like this team’s Achilles heel, but their ability to go on runs during the most important quarter in basketball, be it to extend leads or to cut deficits, will go a long way for them when they make the postseason.
Of course, the issue with this team is not talent, but execution and full effort for 48 minutes. Their relative dominance in fourth quarters will only be maximized if they do not allow their body of work during the first three periods to negate their prolific defense in crunch time.
Still, this is a good sign for the 76ers. As long as they can come out of the halftime break much better than they have, they should be in great position to start racking up more wins, especially the tight ones and against better competition.