It looked like the Philadelphia 76ers were going to easily defeat the New York Knicks on Sunday, establishing an impressive 21-point lead over that team.
But that powerful advantage didn’t last long and the 76ers once again embarrassed themselves.
If there's one thing Doc Rivers teams are known for is blowing leads 😬 pic.twitter.com/Xw5OlLcvvB
— 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧' 𝐍𝐁𝐀 (@_Talkin_NBA) February 6, 2023
In fact, they ended up losing 108-97 to the Knicks, giving up their big 21-point lead over to Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and the rest of the crew.
This was their fourth 20-point blown lead under head coach Doc Rivers and it was tied for the largest so far this season.
Throughout the beginning of the game, the 76ers were landing just about everything they wanted, sinking 63% from the field and 57% of their three-pointers.
But their 21-point advantage was cut down by the Knicks, with the lead only at 11 before the second quarter.
Once the third quarter rolled around, the Knicks were able to take control and take the lead.
Then there was no looking back.
The loss for Philly is partly because the Knicks got hot in the second half of the game but it’s also because the 76ers grew cold.
This is a troubling trend that we have seen not just for the 76ers but multiple teams led by Rivers.
He has an infamous tendency of letting leads slip away.
Despite Sunday night’s disappointing results, Philadelphia is still a team to be feared by others.
They are the third-best squad in the East and are being led by powerhouse MVP candidate Joel Embiid.
Their chances of actually going far in the playoffs have never been higher.
But if they want to make that happen, they need to avoid any more surprising upsets like the one they had at the hands of the Knicks.
NEXT: The 76ers Fell Apart On Monday
