Once again, the Philadelphia 76ers didn’t even bother to change their script: They played a respectable first half and perhaps even built a sizable lead against good opponents, witnessed their halftime lead disappear as quickly as possible, and then forced a nail-biter in the final frame. They did it again against the Lakers, but this time… it resulted in a narrow loss.
The 76ers led by seven at intermission, and while that doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, it still falls squarely into a very concerning trend that has somewhat defined their season. They are still the absolute worst third-quarter team in the NBA, and they proved that again when they not only allowed the Lakers to erase their lead, but also gained all the momentum needed to stay ahead in the fourth quarter.
This begs the question: What the heck is going on in the 76ers’ locker room at halftime? And perhaps even more importantly: what does Nick Nurse actually say or do – or not say or do – during the break?
The 76ers should start having serious discussions about Nick Nurse
Pushing aside the prospect of parting ways with Nick Nurse for the sole reason that the team continues to perform poorly in the third quarter sounds like too much, but when you consider that he has also been mystified when it comes to game management, it almost becomes the icing on the cake.
As everyone knows, most in-game adjustments are made at halftime, when opposing coaches get a clearer way to communicate changes in attacking plans and defensive coverages to players and point out the finer details on the field. But with the 76ers, it’s almost as if they don’t do anything productive during those interstitials.
While it is normal for a team to be outplayed after the break, repeated displays of utter incompetence in the third quarter point to a problem with their actual infrastructure and maturity – or lack thereof.
At some point, conversations have to be had. The 76ers continue to pull ahead and come out flat to start the second half, and it’s already costing them many wins. When the playoffs start – and assuming they make it there – this would be a perfect recipe for disaster and another early exit.
Until this changes, people will be calling out Nick Nurse. And while fans can be unreasonable at times, with this trend still continuing, they should be given a strong benefit of the doubt.
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