The Sixers did something last night that Kobe Bryant never did.
Take my word for it, that's not a good thing.
The Sixers failed to show up.
Defense was merely a rumor for the Sixers as they got lit up by Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks, 127-117. Young went off for 39 points.
It was the same problem as usual for the Sixers every time they wander away from the friendly confines of the Wells Fargo Center. Road Warriors? Not this squad. They now stand at 31-18, but are only 9-16 on the road, and that includes eight of their last 10 road contests.
This one had the whiff of a team that was not especially interested in showing up.
The Sixers gave up 74 points to the lowly Hawks in the first half, but were making it interesting and only trailed by two at the break.
Joel Embiid continued his penchant for lurking around the perimeter instead of locking down in the block, especially against a team and center he should dominate.
An exasperated Brett Brown was forced to call several timeouts because he didn't like what he was seeing on the defensive end.
That's something coaches never had to worry about with Kobe Bryant.
One of the best compliments I heard about the Lower Merion star and all-time Lakers great in the wake of his tragic death this week focused on his unreal competitive drive, how he never took a play - let alone a game - off. It was something everybody who played against him respected.
"I'm not here to make friends," Bryant would say.
The Sixers could use some of that attitude.
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