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76ers’ Nick Nurse gets brutally honest about close win vs. Kings
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- 76ers’ Nick Nurse gets brutally honest about close win vs. Kings
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The Philadelphia 76ers might have added another "W" to the win column on Thursday night, but head coach Nick Nurse isn't exactly planning a parade . Despite escaping with a 113-111 victory over a struggling Sacramento Kings squad, Nurse was refreshingly and brutally honest about his team's performance.
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"I think we're pretty lucky, to be honest with you, that we got out of there with a W," Nurse told reporters after the game. "Not very good on the glass, not very good in transition, not very good on defense… We're pretty fortunate to get out of there with a win tonight."
He isn't exaggerating. On paper, this should have been a blowout. The Kings entered the Wells Fargo Center on a six-game losing streak and were massive 11.5-point underdogs. Instead, Philadelphia found itself in a dogfight, trailing late in the fourth quarter before their stars finally dragged them across the finish line.
The game-saver was, unsurprisingly, Tyrese Maxey. The All-Star point guard was surgical, exploding for 40 points on 12-of-18 shooting, including the game-winning bucket with just 1.3 seconds remaining. He wasn't alone in the heavy lifting; Joel Embiid turned in a monster performance of his own, tallying 37 points and 8 assists.
Together, the duo scored a staggering 77 of the team's 113 points. However, that top-heavy production masked some ugly team stats. The Sixers were demolished on the boards, losing the rebounding battle 46-24. Sacramento, led by 27 points from Dennis Schröder and 25 from DeMar DeRozan , repeatedly hurt Philly in transition and on second-chance opportunities.
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While the Sixers moved to 25-21 and secured their second straight home win, the lack of support for the "Big Two" and the defensive lapses clearly have Nurse on edge. Survival is fine for a Tuesday night in January, but if the Sixers want to be more than just "lucky" come April, they'll need to find some help for their superstars.
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Related: Tyrese Maxey rescues 76ers with bonkers game-winner vs. Kings
