Nick Nurse’s postgame comments Friday were calm but pointed. There was no rant. But there was a message.
The 76ers coach said his team Home loss 103-95 against the Pelicans Friday night – a blowout that turned into a close finish – really followed the cliché of the tale of the two halves. During the first 24 minutes, Nurse called the Sixers’ offensive approach “soft” and repeatedly lamented their failure to execute defensive plans while falling into a 35-point deficit. In the second half, in the coach’s assessment, “we did the right thing,” sparking a steady comeback that brought the Sixers within five points in the game’s final minute.
It was a glaring reminder that this version of the Sixers absolutely can’t deviate from the game plan while shorthanded, a lesson they are now tasked with bringing to their final 19 regular season games while battling for the top seed in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race.
» LEARN MORE: Sixers’ terrible first half dooms them in 103-95 loss to New Orleans Pelicans
“Stop trying to hit home runs or stop trying to do everything at once,” said winger Kelly Oubre Jr.. “Because once we start thinking too much, especially with the group that we currently have, it’s never good. It’s just about locking in, being ready to play from the start and just executing for 48 minutes.
“These things that the coach takes his time to tell us, it’s like a memory aid, isn’t it? We have to actually do these things and execute them at a high level – everyone.
The Sixers (35-28) have been struggling for more than a month, with reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid’s knee surgery headlining a barrage of injuries seemingly without END. They are 6-15 since Jan. 25, falling from third place in the East standings to seventh. In February, they ranked 28th out of 30 teams in defensive efficiency (120 points allowed per 100 possessions) and 23rd in offensive efficiency (111.1 points per 100 possessions). Since the calendar turned to March, the defense has remained in the bottom third of the league.
Veteran starter Nico Batum (foot soreness) was a late scratch Friday night, joining All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey (concussion) and rotation guard De’Anthony Melton (spine stress). Still, KJ Martin spoke after the shootout about the need to pick up the offensive pace without Embiid. During Nurse’s pregame press conference, the coach emphasized kicking three-point shooters after the Grizzlies totaled 15 blocks in Wednesday’s game.
The Sixers made deep shots on six of their first seven possessions, but mostly on pull-ups that the coach described as “at least moderately to heavily contested.” On the other side, Oubre felt the Pelicans constantly attack in the open court and off the dribble, producing 15 fast break points and an 8-of-16 mark from three-point range in the first half.
And when those New Orleans shots fell, it forced the Sixers to face a defense setup that boasts length and athleticism among the top 10 units in efficiency.
“We tried to fight our way to a lead early, and you can’t count on that,” Nurse said. “…It’s not enough. You have to play harder than that. You have to put your nose in there and stick it in the paint and try to get to the foul line, draw some defense and the expel towards someone who is open.
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When asked what triggered the halftime refocus, Nick described a relatively routine scene in the locker room, where the coaches reaffirmed this game plan and presented the choice: “either you quit or you tighten your shoes and you go out and start fighting. » Oubre, however, said the group boos from the crowd were a jarring dose of motivation.
“It was just like, ‘Bro, if we don’t get it back, they’re going to boo us in the gym.’ Maybe out of town,” Oubre said. “It was just a message, honestly, it was simple. …Everyone felt the energy. We had to go out and fight, and at least to show fight, so that we can give ourselves the best chance of maybe coming back.
“If we played like we did in the second half in the first half to start the game, it would be a completely different story.”
After the break, starting forward Tobias Harris praised how the Sixers got on the ball more physically defensively, making passes and shots more difficult. This freed up his team’s ability to run. The Sixers shot 51.2 percent from the floor and 7 of 17 from beyond the arc, and outscored the Pelicans 61-40 in the second half.
“We did a really good job responding,” Harris said. “We just kind of have to feed off that.”
It starts with two straight games against the New York Knicks, a potential first-round playoff opponent who has also been riddled with injuries in recent weeks but has already beaten the Sixers twice. Next, the Sixers visit the Milwaukee Bucks and former coach Doc Rivers. Nine of the Sixers’ remaining 12 games in March will be away from home.
When asked if the 19 games remaining in the regular season were enough to get his teammates back together and prepare for the playoffs, Harris said, “That’s the only time we have, so we have to find out.”
And before Nurse left Friday’s postgame media session, he had another blunt response. Although key players are sidelined, the coach said, he remains in “super-evaluation mode.”
“I want to see who can execute what we need to execute when we get our people back,” Nurse said. “I always do that. I think I’m looking at things pretty carefully here, so that’s the positive side. I’m learning a lot at the moment.
