MIAMI — In the NBA, postgame interviews usually kick off around ten minutes following the final whistle, with coaches taking the floor first, followed by various players. Victorious teams typically radiate positivity, while the atmosphere tends to darken for losing squads. However, the situation for the Philadelphia 76ers is far from standard.
The 76ers faced a disappointing defeat against the Miami Heat on Monday night, squandering a strong 19-point lead and ultimately losing 106-89. The match concluded at 9:51 p.m., but it wasn’t until over an hour later that coach Nick Nurse emerged for the media briefing, taking time to conduct a team meeting due to the team’s troubling 2-11 start to the season.
“Apologies for the wait,” Nurse told the small group of reporters who had been patiently awaiting his arrival. He answered questions, and once he was finished, a few players stepped forward to share their insights.
There’s still a significant amount of the season left to play; they are only appearing at the tail end of the first quarter of an 82-game season. So far, it might not be the moment for concern; however, the urgency to improve is palpable, particularly for teams like Philadelphia.
Historically, since the NBA adopted the 16-team playoff framework in 1984, only four teams with losing records after 15 games reached the NBA Finals: the San Antonio Spurs in 1998-99, the Detroit Pistons in 2004-05, the Boston Celtics in 2021-22, and the Miami Heat in 2022-23. Remarkably, each of those teams held a record of 7-8.
This spells trouble for teams like Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Miami — all of which have struggled to find their rhythm this season. Injuries have been a significant factor; Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton has yet to appear in a game, while Joel Embiid of the 76ers was only able to play for the third time this season on Monday night. Meanwhile, Miami welcomed back Jimmy Butler after a week-long absence but was missing Terry Rozier and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Current records show Miami at 6-7 and Milwaukee at 5-9, with Philadelphia trailing at 2-11, which is far from what these teams anticipated at the season’s commencement, injuries notwithstanding.
“There’s a sense of urgency for sure,” remarked Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. “When you examine both conferences, urgency is evident everywhere. I believe we are witnessing a lot of parity, leading to intense competition. Winning one game makes everything feel fantastic, while a loss can feel devastating. That’s the nature of competition, especially in such a tightly contested race in the standings.”
The 76ers have faced challenges lately, specifically failing to score at least 100 points in three of their last four matches and falling below 90 in their last two games. Interestingly, while Philadelphia holds a 2-0 record in overtime contests this season, they remain winless (0-11) in games decided within regulation time.
“It’s undoubtedly tough. Losing isn’t enjoyable,” said Nurse. “However, we have games ahead, and we must resolve our issues. We need to perform better and get our team members healthy. There’s a lot at stake. Fortunately, we’ve seen glimpses of strong performances for extended periods.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics have clearly distinguished themselves within the Eastern Conference. The flawless 15-0 Cavaliers are set to visit the 11-3 Celtics in an NBA Cup matchup on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, the rest of the conference, from the Orlando Magic at 9-6 to the struggling 76ers, is tightly bunched, with only six games separating them. Given the vast number of games remaining, no team is truly out of contention, including the 76ers, who still boast talent like Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and NBA champion point guard Kyle Lowry.
“Sure, 2-11 isn’t great,” acknowledged Philadelphia’s Jared McCain. “However, it’s still early in the season, and our team has barely logged minutes together. I constantly say: we should be granted some patience. We’re working on improvement.”
In the aftermath of the team meeting, the atmosphere in the 76ers’ locker room appeared intact — no signs of despair or chaos, and players were even seen sharing jokes.
“I didn’t even know we had a meeting,” Embiid quipped, implying he wouldn’t delve into the details from their conversation behind closed doors. He did admit, however, that he might need to adopt a more aggressive mindset going forward. The 76ers are in the process of figuring out how all their components fit together, but Embiid recognizes the importance of moving beyond their current struggles.
“We have our record,” Embiid stated bluntly, “and it’s clear that something needs to change.”