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Why the 76ers' NBA-best 8-1 start feels different this season despite Nick Nurse's warning
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- Why the 76ers' NBA-best 8-1 start feels different this season despite Nick Nurse's warning
Why the 76ers' NBA-best 8-1 start feels different this season despite Nick Nurse's warning originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The 76ers are the talk of the NBA. And with just cause.
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After defeating the Detroit Pistons 112-106 Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena, the star-studded squad has the league's best record of 8-1.
But Sixers coach Nick Nurse tried to downplay his team's success amid a grueling early schedule.
"The biggest thing is if the games are in front of you, you have to play to win it," he told the media. "I wouldn't read any super long-term stuff into anything because it's early and there is a lot of stuff going on.
"You try to win the game in front of you. I feel like that was another game where we're getting a touch better, and that's the goal."
Perhaps Nurse doesn't want to look too far ahead or get overly confident after leading the Sixers to an 8-1 start during the 2023-24 season, his first season in Philly. That squad lost six of their next 10 games. Then Joel Embiid was limited to 39 games that season due in large part to suffering a left lateral meniscus tear against the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 30, 2024. The Sixers finished that season by losing to the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs.
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But there's a reason why folks are overly excited this time around.
The Sixers have the best record despite being handed the toughest opening 10-game stretch in the NBA. Wednesday's victory avenged their lone loss of the season, a 106-93 setback to the Pistons (6-2) on Oct. 25 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. And some will argue that loss should come with an asterisk, considering Embiid and VJ Edgecombe were both sidelined.
The Sixers opened the season by defeating the reigning NBA champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 20. They followed that up with a home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers , last season's Eastern Conference finalists, on Oct. 22.
Then they beat the rebuilding Milwaukee Bucks the day before losing to a Pistons squad that had last season's best conference regular-season record.
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Since then, they've posted five straight victories, which included a win over 2024-25 NBA Finalist Indiana Pacers and a second win over the Knicks.
All five Sixers starters — Tyrese Maxey (28.0 points, 5.4 assists), Jaylen Brown (21.8 points, 6.9 rebounds), Embiid (19.6 points, 10.0 rebounds), LeBron James (15.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists), and Edgecombe (12.5 points, 7.0 rebounds) — are all double-figure scorers. So is standout reserve Anfernee Simons (10.0 points).
In addition, the Sixers are second in the league in defensive rating (105.1), third in scoring defense (105.2), and third in opponents' made three-pointers (11.2 per game).
"Our defense is going to be our identity," LeBron James said. "We have a lot of scoring. We know that from individuals. We're still figuring out that side of the floor out on the offensive side. Defensively, that's where we are going to make our mark. It's the point of attack. It's us communicating. It's us helping each other.
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"But we are nine games in. So we have a long way to go. We are just trying to get each and every day."
The Sixers will face the Cavs (4-4) on Friday at Rocket Arena before concluding their three-game road trip on Sunday against the Bulls (1-7) at the United Center.
They're expected to win both matchups heading into Tuesday's much-anticipated home game against the Boston Celtics . It will mark Jaylen Brown's first game against the Celtics (6-2), who traded him to Philly in exchange for Paul George and draft picks.
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