3 observations after Sixers escape with unlikely win over Cavs, snap NBA’s longest streak

3 observations after Sixers escape with unlikely win over Cavs, snap NBA’s longest streak originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers breathed a deep sigh of relief at the final buzzer and snapped the NBA’s longest winning streak Monday night in Cleveland.

The Cavs couldn’t complete a late comeback push, falling to a 123-121 loss and dropping to 35-17.

Donovan Mitchell drove into the paint and got blocked by Paul Reed on the game’s final play. Mitchell then recovered the loose ball and kicked it out to Darius Garland, but his corner three-point attempt was short.

The Sixers improved to 32-21 and were tremendous as a team in ending Cleveland’s nine-game streak. They had six players score in double figures and Buddy Hield (24 points on 9-for-13 shooting, eight assists) and Tyrese Maxey (22 points, nine assists) were standouts. Kelly Oubre Jr. also scored 24 points on 10-for-14 shooting.

Mitchell’s 36 points led Cleveland. Garland and Jarrett Allen each tallied 21.

The Sixers, who are expected to sign Kyle Lowry once he clears waivers, continued to have a long injury list.

They were missing Joel Embiid (left knee meniscus procedure), Tobias Harris (left hip impingement), Nicolas Batum (left hamstring strain), De’Anthony Melton (lumbar spine stress response) and Robert Covington (left knee bone bruise).

The Sixers will return to Philadelphia and play the Heat on Wednesday night in their final game before the All-Star break. Here are observations on their improbable victory over the Cavs:

Martin’s first Sixers start 

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse had been quite pleased with KJ Martin’s performance Saturday night in the Sixers’ win over the Wizards.

“He was playing excellent on defense,” Nurse said. “He was switching out, stopping a lot of those drives. … He got (23) minutes and he probably deserved closer to 30, to be honest, with the way he was defending. I thought he was very, very impactful.”

Nurse decided on Monday to give Martin his first start this season in Harris’ place. Martin played 26 good minutes in Cleveland, recording 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting and eight rebounds while…

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Author : NBC Sports Philadelphia

Publish date : 2024-02-13 03:23:34

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