The first half of the Sixers’ back to back did not go as expected. Despite a late push including a chance to win at the buzzer, the 76ers fall short to the Memphis Grizzlies 106-104. There were some good performances from Philadelphia, but their overall sloppiness was the main reason for this loss.

Turnovers killed the Sixers once again. Tonight the Sixers committed 22 turnovers, double the amount that Memphis had. Ben Simmons, Shake Milton, and Tobias Harris combined for 17 of their 22 turnovers. Alongside turnovers, another major issue was free throws. Dwight Howard shot 2/8 from the line and missed several key attempts in the closing minutes.

The most positive aspect from this game was the shooting of Ben Simmons. Ben had a rough start shooting 0/5 from the field. While he only finished with 11 points, there was a major increase in willingness to shoot than we have ever seen. Simmons shot two from three alongside a post-up fadeaway jumper late in the fourth. Ben was only one assist away from his third triple-double this season.

Shake Milton exploded off the bench yet again for 28 points shooting 10/18. Over the past three games, Shake Milton has scored 28 points (10-18 FG), 31 points (11-15 FG), 24 points (8-13 FG). Milton continues to look like a bright young star for the Sixers and during crunch time without Embiid, this team should have done everything possible to ensure that Milton had the ball in his hands for a shot at the buzzer.

Philadelphia now moves to 9-5 on the season and play the 6-6 Oklahoma City Thunder on the road tomorrow night. They will be without Embiid once again. When Joel is out, the sloppy play is a major issue with this organization that Doc needs to put a stop to immediately.

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Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford USA Today Sports