Philadelphia 76ers Win (Finally!) After 17 Straight Losses
The team was closing in on an NBA record for losses to start a season.
— -- It took 18 games.
But after enduring blowouts and squeakers, missed shots and mistakes, the Philadelphia 76ers have finally broken through to the win column, topping the Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday, 85-77.
The win came at an important time for Philadelphia. One more loss would have tied the NBA record for worst start to a season – 0-18 by the 2009-10 Nets.
No, 1-17 feels a bit better.
Players smiled and waved towels on the sidelines, celebrating as the seconds ticked away in the fourth quarter.
Relief.
Philadelphia hadn’t won a regular season game since April 16 against the Miami Heat – 231 days ago.
The start of Wednesday’s game epitomized Philadelphia’s season. The 76ers won the opening tip, and 16 seconds into the game, as Henry Sims stepped to the free throw line, the referee stopped the game.
The Sixers were going in the wrong direction.
The Sixers turned things around – literally – with Michael Carter-Williams leading the way with 20 points, along with nine assists and nine rebounds. Robert Covington also provided a spark with three key three-pointers in the fourth quarter.
Head coach Brett Brown expressed pride in his team.
"There's a human side of it. You walk into that locker room and you're just proud of them for staying together. They're just overjoyed,” he told reporters.
“We feel like this validates the work that they've put in and I have a tremendous amount of respect that they never once quit on themselves, short-circuited a practice and they were rewarded tonight.”
The win left the 76ers giddy. The team celebrated on social media, even referencing a classic “Seinfeld” episode.
Other teams congratulated the Sixers on the accomplishment.
Allen Iverson, one of the franchise’s all-time greats who retired a few years, also acknowledged the victory.