Players, followers and fans had a similar thought after the Sixers were bludgeoned by the New Orleans Pelicans in the second half on Saturday that led to a 15-point loss, and that was the team had just put together their worst 24 minutes of the season which led to the most dismal loss this year.
A flight north to face the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday certainly couldn't have been a welcomed follow-up task, even though they would be missing centers Rudy Gobert (one game suspension for going over flagrant foul limit) and Naz Reid (right shoulder injury). Add to that the Sixers being without Joel Embiid for the fifth consecutive game with right shin soreness and Paul George still serving his 25-game suspension, the team riding a four-game losing streak and, well, it just didn't seem plausible for a passable effort.
The effort wasn't just passable, though, it was borderline excellent, as they trounced Minnesota, 135-108.
It's as inexplicable as getting a blizzard the day after it was sunny and 50 degrees. They somehow found a way to dominate a very good team after having lost eight of their previous nine without Embiid.
Somehow, energy was found, defense ruled and the fast and confident pace in which their coach begs them to play was as good as it has looked in weeks.
from the top of the key. 🔑 pic.twitter.com/I4GRRSFPKA
They used huge runs in the first quarter to build a nine-point lead after the first 12 minutes. And when they built the lead to 16 points in the middle of the second, they posted numbers that should be their identity, but hasn't been of late. In getting up 48-32, they were shooting better than 50 percent from the floor while making 8-of-14 threes. They had the rebounding advantage by 20-13 and they dealt 13 assists on 16 field goals. All of those areas are points of emphasis from coach Nick Nurse, and all inexplicably shined on Sunday.
Tyrese Maxey made shots from everywhere in collecting his 39 points. He also got his teammates involved with eight assists. Rookie VJ Edgecombe hit a career-high six three-pointers and Quentin Grimes continued his hot streak off the bench of late with 19 points.
TYRESE MAXEY POSTER pic.twitter.com/JAgF6DUp9l
"We didn't have a choice. We don't have an option," said Maxey in a TV interview after the game on how the effort was so good after such a miserable Saturday. "We know this team is pretty good, (a) playoff team, they've been to the Western Conference finals multiple times and they've got beasts to deal with over there in Ant (Anthony Edwards) and Julius Randle. We got back to playing with a little bit of spirit. This team has got to smile a little bit. Quentin Grimes was huge, just playing the right way and having fun. When we play like that defensively, that's when we can get out and run and score the ball."
As much as the team relies on Embiid when he is available, their bread and butter really is their guard play, their outside shooting and wreaking havoc at the defensive end with their quickness. Sunday, they collected 14 steals in forcing Minnesota to turn the ball over 20 times.
Nurse wants to use the speed and quickness of his backcourt each and every night to gain advantages, particularly when Embiid is sidelined. Problem is, it isn't easy to beat teams that way when the schedule is relentless and rest is minimal. There have to be other options.
Somehow, though, Sunday was different. They followed the script of their coach in improving to 31-26 on the season.
"I just thought he was so assertive tonight in the standpoint of he was seeing a lot of similar stuff that he's been seeing and he was just attacking what they were doing immediately, instead of sometimes," said Nurse of Maxey to reporters in Minnesota. "He just kept trying to make them keep up with his speed and guys did a good job. We were swinging really high out on the floor which gave him a lot more space to play in. He kept finding creases to get really good shots up tonight."
The Sixers improved to 8-3 on the back half of back-to-back games and now will ride some much needed momentum into Indiana where they'll play the Pacers on Tuesday.
