Player grades: Sixers battle, but end up taking loss to Pacers at home
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers returned home on Friday to play host to the Indiana Pacers looking to get back in the win column. The Sixers went 0-2 on their quick road trip to Atlanta and Toronto and were looking to pick up a win over a tough Pacers team.
With that being said, the challenge was immense. Philadelphia entered the night with only eight players available including the three players on a two-way deal and a player on a 10-day deal the Sixers had just signed on Friday. When considering all of that, the Pacers predictably walked away with a 112-100 win. Philadelphia held a double-digit lead in the first half, but couldn't sustain it.
Jeff Dowtin Jr. led the Sixers with a career-high 24 points while Adem Bona had 16 points and nine rebounds. Jared Butler had 17 points, Ricky Council IV added 12, Oshae Brissett had 14, and Guerschon Yabusele had five and 15 rebounds.
Here are the player grades following the loss:
Jared Butler: B-minus
When Butler is able to put his head down and attack the basket, he is always makes things happen. He is a smart player, but he has a quick burst of speed that he will use in order to get into the paint and create offense for himself and his teammates. He was efficient with his own offense and did some good things with his playmaking in this one. It was a different story in the second half, but overall, Butler had some good moments on the offensive end and looked comfortable running things.
Jeff Dowtin Jr.: A
Coming off a career night in Toronto in his previous outing, Dowtin had another nice night in this one. He was able to give the Sixers some consistent scoring, was terrific on the glass, and made sure Philadelphia was organized on the offensive end of the floor. The Pacers seemed to not have much of an answer for him as Dowtin blew by every Indiana defender and used his strength to muscle his way into the paint and get some easy looks. Even his tougher looks were able to drop for him. He was just in a groove on that end of the floor.
Ricky Council IV: B-minus
In a situation such as this one, Council just needs to score the basketball. He was focused on his offense in this one as he was able to get to his spots and feel comfortable with his own looks. He took some shots in rhythm and used his athleticism to get to the basket and make things happen for Philadelphia. There were a few moments when he tried to do too much, but Council had a solid night for the Sixers as he continues to search for consistency.
Guerschon Yabusele: C-minus
Yabusele looked lively in this one. After missing the contest against the Raptors due to right knee soreness, he was questionable heading into this matchup. However, he looked like he was able to shake that off and push forward, at least to start. He was attacking the basket off the dribble, was helpful on the glass, and had lift on his 3-point looks. His overall efficiency wasn’t great after a nice start, but Yabusele looked like himself on some of these possessions.
Adem Bona: B-plus
Bona had some good moments in this one. On the offensive end, he was terrific around the basket as he used a variety of post moves to free himself up for floaters at the rim and he did some good things on the defensive end. He was fantastic in terms of blocking shots and being able to deter some of Indiana’s attacks in the paint. Bona has a bright future in this league and just needs to continue working. He takes a big step forward on a nightly basis and Philadelphia will be better for it going forward.
Alex Reese: C-plus
Reese looks like he has a lot of good defensive chops. This is the second straight game where he has shown off an ability to hold his ground and be bother his opponents whether it was out on the perimeter or even at the basket. He had an impressive block on Pacers big man Myles Turner during his initial stint. He knocked down a 3 in the second half as he showed off his range.
Jalen Hood-Schifino: C
The debut of Hood-Schifino got off to a rough start. He had a few good looks within the offense, but was unable to convert on them, but his ability to get in the paint was welcomed. He was able to make things happen in the second half with his offensive game which is a good sign for him moving forward.
Oshae Brissett: C
Brissett was unable to find a rhythm on the offensive end, but he was able to get to the line and get on the board with his scoring. He had some nice defensive moments as well as he seemed to be in the right positions more often than not. Overall, it was a tough night for him, but he can be forgiven when considering it was his first NBA game of the season and he was just signed on Friday. He did get some triples to fall in the fourth with the game already decided, but those are shots he can take with him going forward.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Sixers battle, but end up taking loss to Pacers at home
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