The Philadelphia 76ers have just lost their fourth game this season, sending them back to a three-way tie for fifth place in the East as of writing. Facing the Pistons, which are leading the pack in the conference, a loss is not exactly the end of the world, especially with the squad playing on the second leg of a back-to-back. Without sounding defeatist, this one is rather understandable.
Having said that, it is only the result which can be excused. After all, this was a tight affair in crunch time before the Pistons managed to pull off enough stops to stave off the hosts. It is their body of work after the halftime break which deserves scrutiny, having blown a double-digit lead after the second quarter during the third frame.
The 76ers lost the third quarter for the ninth time in 10 games — a jarring feat for a team that has mounted considerable leads for the most part. It seems like they just can’t stop coming out flat after the halftime break, and it has become the most troubling trend for this group which cannot just be flat-out ignored.
The 76ers have a third quarter problem and it’s killing them
Philadelphia has won in the third quarter just once this season during their NBA Cup outing against the Celtics which ironically culminated in a one-point loss. And even then, the 76ers only outscored them by four points in that period, so it is pretty safe to say that third quarters have turned out to be their Achilles’ heel.
Going into the numbers, the 76ers are dead-last in the leagie in third-quarter scoring, registering just 23.4 markers therein on the average. They also rack up the third-most turnovers during that period, further entrenching them as the worst team in the league coming off the halftime break.
When — and not if — they make the playoffs, the 76ers stand to get bitten back by thsi terrible habit that they have formed. The bulk of on-court adjustments are made during halftime, and if this team still comes out flat after the break, teams are bound to feast on them and set the tone early for the second half.
Coming out strong after the intermission despite having a big lead is a marker of maturity, and right now, the 76ers just do not have that in their DNA. Changing that will be imperative, lest they become susceptible to teams that are quick to adjust.