The Sixers were rolling a bit. They’d won five of six. Joel Embiid and Paul George played six straight games together. Outside of a loss to the Hospital Nuggets last Monday, things were looking good heading into Sunday night’s matchup against the Raptors.
But Embiid popped up on the injury report as out, now with a groin issue. Then, after being announced as a starter, George was a late scratch with knee soreness just before opening tip. Whether it was those absences or fatigue, the Sixers looked flat for much of their overtime loss to Toronto. Even with that, Tyrese Maxey put them in position to win the game, but poor late-game execution in regulation and overtime cost them what would’ve been a gritty win.
The Sixers are still in decent shape. They’re 21-16, good for fifth in the East. They’re tied in the loss column with Toronto. The schedule lightens up at the end of January, but the next couple weeks are no picnic — and a West Coast trip looms to start February.
For now, hit me with your Sixers questions and thoughts in the comments.