Sixers’ Nick Nurse On If Team Gave Up In Ugly Loss To Bulls: ‘I Don’t Know If They Started’

The season can’t end soon enough for the Philadelphia 76ers.

A year plagued by injuries reached a new low Monday night, as the Sixers were crushed 142-110 at home by the Chicago Bulls. The loss was so lopsided that Philadelphia trailed by as many as 50 points at one stage, leaving their already fragile morale further shaken.

Coach Nick Nurse struggled to find positives in the aftermath, offering a blunt assessment of the team’s performance.

“Just the overall vibe was really poor from the start,” Nurse said. “I think that giving up 39, almost 40 [points] again in the first quarter just kind of set the tone for the game. And there just didn’t seem to be a lot of energy or life or vibe tonight.”

The loss continued a troubling trend for the 76ers, who have struggled to find any consistent rhythm throughout the season. Despite 19 points from Paul George, the 76ers failed to put up much of a fight. George echoed Nurse’s sentiment, acknowledging the lack of competitiveness.

“We’ve shown no sign of a team that will compete and, you know, we just don’t have the habits of a champion or a playoff contending team,” George said after the game, via Adam Aaronson of the Philly Voice.

With the defeat, the 76ers dropped to 20-37 on the season, placing them at No. 12 in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia is facing a difficult road ahead, with a trip to Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks (37-20) on Wednesday.

Adding to their woes, star center Joel Embiid’s status remains uncertain after sitting out the fourth quarter of Saturday’s tough loss to the Brooklyn Nets. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sunday that Embiid is considering surgery for his injured left knee, adding another layer of uncertainty to the team’s future.

Given the team’s disappointing record, it may be time for the 76ers to shut down Embiid for the remainder of the season, target a high draft pick, and regroup for the future. Philadelphia will retain its draft pick if it falls within the top six, but if it lands outside that range, the selection will go to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Asked if he felt the team had given up, Nurse was uncertain. “I don’t know if they started tonight,” he said.