Sixers lose to Warriors as Grant goes down
OAKLAND, Calif. - The 76ers just can't keep their post players healthy. They lost Jerami Grant to a right knee and quadriceps bruise in the first quarter of Sunday night's 117-105 loss to the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena.
OAKLAND, Calif. - The 76ers just can't keep their post players healthy.
They lost Jerami Grant to a right knee and quadriceps bruise in the first quarter of Sunday night's 117-105 loss to the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena.
His injury left the Sixers (9-65) with just three healthy big men - Carl Landry, Elton Brand, and Christian Wood - against the Warriors (66-7).
"This is tough, man," Brand said. "Guys are dropping like flies, adding 10-day guys. It's been rough. The guys that are out there are going to have to keep competing and keep fighting."
But on this night, their fight couldn't measure up to Golden State's dominance.
Warriors power forward Draymond Green had 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists for his 12th triple double of the season.
But he wasn't the most-dominant Warrior.
Shooting guard Klay Thompson made 7 of 14 three-pointers and finished with 40 points. Point guard Steph Curry had a quiet 20 points. And former Sixer Marreese Speights finished with 17 points and seven rebounds in just 20 minutes. Fifteen of the reserve post player's points came on 6-for-6 shooting in the first half.
"You just never can relax," Sixers coach Brett Brown said about facing the Warriors, who have the best record in league history through 73 games. "The volume of points they can score in just short bursts is breathtaking. . . . All over the place they are hard to guard."
Landry is the only healthy Sixers post player who at this stage would log quality minutes for any other NBA team. Brand, 37, came out of retirement in January to serve as a locker-room mentor for the young team. The Sixers were unsure if he would get any playing time once they signed him.
Wood made the team's season-opening roster, but he was waived to make room for Brand on the 15-man roster in January.
Wood was called up on a 10-day contract from the Sixers' NBA Development League team, the Delaware 87ers, on Sunday. He arrived at about noon and played in the first half.
The Sixers had no choice to play him until they quickly realized he was vastly overmatched.
Jahlil Okafor had season-ending surgery to repair a torn right meniscus on Tuesday. Nerlens Noel missed his third consecutive game Sunday with a right knee contusion. Richaun Holmes was also sidelined for the matchup with a strained right Achilles tendon.
The Sixers will wait and see how Noel and Grant feel when they wake up Monday morning before putting a timeline on their return.
"I don't feel like we know enough to make any type of comment there," Brown said of Grant.
Noel said Sunday that he was still in pain.
"You had to take what was available, find ways to sub it, keep fresh bodies on the floor and make it work," Brown said. "I think Elton came in and gave up some veteran-type minutes. Carl came in and gave us some veteran-type minutes."
Landry tried his best, scoring 22 points on 9 for 15 shooting. Brand played a season-high 16 minutes, 42 seconds. He scored 10 points on 5 for 6 shooting to tie his scoring high of the season.
Point guard Ish Smith (20 points) also tried to will his team to victory with 10 assists. But the Sixers were at a huge disadvantage without Okafor, Noel, Holmes, and Grant. The Warriors had a 26-15 rebounding advantage in the first half and a 44-37 edge for the game.
Wood opened the second quarter on the floor for the Sixers. However, he struggled during a 4-minute, 37-second stretch before leaving the game and never returned.
"This is part of the season, we have to keep grinding keep going," Smith said of the injuries. "I think our bigs stepped up. I think once Christian gets a little more comfortable, he will be able to play a bigger role.
"Carl was unbelievable tonight."
The loss was the Sixers' ninth straight and 22nd in 23 games.
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