Nuggets, 76ers both skidding in wrong direction
Two struggling teams square off when the Philadelphia 76ers host the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.
The Sixers (4-16) have lost six straight games, while the Nuggets (7-13) have dropped five of six.
"We've got to get a 'W,'" Denver guard Will Barton gold Nuggets.com after the team opened a six-game road trip with a 105-98 loss to Utah on Saturday. "We've just got to find a way to put a complete game together."
Denver's defense is of particular concern. One night after Houston shot 50.6 percent from the floor and nailed 17 3-pointers in a 128-110 victory over the Nuggets, Utah's Gordon Hayward matched his season high of 32 points, 21 coming in a third quarter that saw the Jazz outscore Denver 33-16 to open an 82-63 lead.
"The first half and the fourth quarter, the defense was obviously there, but we've got to do it for four quarters," forward Wilson Chandler told Nuggets.com. "We've got to be able to guard the ball one-on-one."
Chandler, who comes off the bench, has scored 20 points or more in four of the past five games and leads the team with an average of 18.5 a night. Veteran forward Danilo Gallinari is averaging 16.8, and guard Emmanuel Mudiay checks in at 14.
Denver is allowing 109.5 points a game, fourth-most in the league. The Sixers are surrendering 107.8 points a night, which is sixth-most.
Philadelphia battled Boston on even terms Saturday night, only to see Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas explode for 13 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter of a 107-106 Boston victory. Thomas became the fifth point guard this season to score 30 or more against the Sixers.
"You see it time and time again with some people who come through our building," Sixers coach Brett Brown said, "and you saw it again tonight. We give him credit. He's hard to guard."
Brown was heartened, at least, by the fact that his team put up a fight, after a poor effort in Friday's 105-88 loss to Orlando.
"This group has a character I respect," he said, "in that they reload after laying eggs."
He was further encouraged by the performance of rookie forward Dario Saric, who matched his career highs of 21 points and 12 rebounds. Brown said Saric, who began the night averaging 8.7 points on 36.6-percent shooting, "was a man down there (in the low post)" while playing his best game to date.
"The last five, six games, my confidence was really low," Saric said. "This game, when you get the first easy basket or (play) good defense, after that it's easier playing."
The Sixers rested rookie center Joel Embiid and were without forward Robert Covington (knee) and guard Jerryd Bayless (wrist). Brown said it's "up in the air" as to whether any of the three will play Monday.
Denver center Nikola Jokic has missed the last two games with a sprained left wrist and guard Gary Harris has missed the last 11 with a foot injury. Neither is expected to play Monday.