Sixers Players Have Excuses for Bad Loss to Celtics

Al Horford Sixers

Getty Al Horford #42 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics race for a loose ball.

The Philadelphia 76ers got bulldozed by the Boston Celtics on National Television, exactly one week after getting a statement win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Several players spoke to the media after the contest, detailing Brad Stevens’ strategy and how Boston took them down without Kemba Walker in the lineup.

“They’re a heavy double team,” said Ben Simmons (via Ky Carlin of the Sixers Wire). “They double every time. It’s also tough when you’ve got guys down there scrapping and getting all over Jo and get the ball back so it’s tough on him.”

Philadelphia lost its second game in a row (the Hawks were able to take down the Sixers on Thursday). The franchise is 1-2 since Joel Embiid came back from a finger injury. The big man went 1-for-11 and committed four turnovers in the loss but the issue, according to seveal members of the Sixers, was Brad Stevens’ double team.

“They doubled and whatnot,” said Tobias Harris. “I just think it was tough for him to get into a rhythm and get going. We’ve got to find a way to get him some easy baskets, get him some momentum plays because we know when he’s going, it makes us a better team.”

Al Horford, who spent three seasons with the Celtics before signing with the Sixers this past summer, expanding on the claim that Stevens’ scheme was too simply too tough.

“I think they did a good job of mixing it up,” said Horford. “We need to identify better getting him the ball in better places when we’re feeding it in there and I think at times we kind of let them off the hook a little bit, but they did a good job of doubling him and doing that. He could never get into a rhythm.”

“I give credit to Boston’s physicality,” said coach Brett Brown. “He didn’t start the game well with turnovers. I think we had seven in the first period, he had four of those, and they came at him. They came at him off the dribble. I think they were physical with him with a crowd. We just didn’t start well with him. He had the first basket and after that, I didn’t believe we did as well a job as we need to do to get him the ball.”

Horford Still Adjusting To Role With Sixers

The team brought in Horford over the summer for a number of reasons, though through a half-season, the results aren’t what the franchise expected. The big man is shooting an atypical 45.1% from the field, including a dismal 32.1% from behind the arc.

To be fair, he’s still going through a learning adjustment in playing alongside Embiid, as the All-Star center has missed considerable time this season. He’s willing to play a different role in Philly than he did in Boston; it’s just taking time to adjust.

“Yeah, I mean, it is definitely different for me,” Horford said via Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com. “It’s almost like me continuing to reinvent myself, and trying to figure out other ways that I can be effective.”

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