The Philadelphia 76ers debuted their new star, Jimmy Butler, this week following a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but his time with Philly did not get off to the start they expected. Butler had 14 points in his first game with the team on Wednesday night, which was a 111-106 loss to the Orlando Magic on the road. After a dominant third quarter that saw them score 35 points, the Sixers blew the lead late by allowing 35 points in the final 12 minutes to fall at the Amway Center. Nikola Vucevic scored 30 points to lead the Magic, who sit a game under .500 at 7-8.
The four-time All-Star, Butler, played 33 minutes and shot 6-of-12 from the floor, after getting dealt to Philadelphia last weekend. J.J. Redick led the scoring for the Sixers with 22 points, but they were held scoreless over the final 3:30 of the game to prevent them from sealing a win. A 21-0 run for the Magic that started in the third quarter and spilled over in to the fourth also played a major role, as Terrence Ross had the tiebreaking three-pointer for the Magic.
Vucevic helped hold off the Sixers late with two game-sealing free throws in the final 5.8 seconds of the game. The big man scored 11 points in the fourth quarter alone, where the Magic outscored the 76ers by 16 points. Joel Embiid had a triple-double of 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, but the 76ers fell for the seventh time in nine road games. Despite Redick leading the way in scoring, he did have two costly turnovers in the final 30 seconds, giving his team no chance to jump back ahead.
Although, Butler made his home debut on Friday night and took over himself in Philadelphia's 113-107 win over the Utah Jazz. The former Chicago Bull and Timberwolves star scored 28 points, while Embiid chipped in 23 to help the Sixers make half of their shots on the night. Butler got a loud standing ovation at the Wells Fargo Center during pregame introductions, this being his first home game since coming over in a five-player trade.
The 76ers got off to a hot start, outscoring the Jazz, 38-24, in the first quarter, but needed to hold off a Utah rally late. Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 31 points on 35 shot attempts, all without an assist, which blew the All-Star's mind when hearing his stat line after the game. Utah made the first basket of the game, but that was followed by a 12-0 76ers run, and the Jazz never led after that moment. They did close the deficit to two points by halftime, but dropped under .500 at 7-8 with the loss.
The win for the 76ers improves them to a perfect 8-0 on their home floor, but they head back on the road Saturday night to take on the Charlotte Hornets. Meanwhile, the Jazz will be in Boston to battle a familiar face in Gordon Hayward and the Celtics.
The four-time All-Star, Butler, played 33 minutes and shot 6-of-12 from the floor, after getting dealt to Philadelphia last weekend. J.J. Redick led the scoring for the Sixers with 22 points, but they were held scoreless over the final 3:30 of the game to prevent them from sealing a win. A 21-0 run for the Magic that started in the third quarter and spilled over in to the fourth also played a major role, as Terrence Ross had the tiebreaking three-pointer for the Magic.
Vucevic helped hold off the Sixers late with two game-sealing free throws in the final 5.8 seconds of the game. The big man scored 11 points in the fourth quarter alone, where the Magic outscored the 76ers by 16 points. Joel Embiid had a triple-double of 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, but the 76ers fell for the seventh time in nine road games. Despite Redick leading the way in scoring, he did have two costly turnovers in the final 30 seconds, giving his team no chance to jump back ahead.
Although, Butler made his home debut on Friday night and took over himself in Philadelphia's 113-107 win over the Utah Jazz. The former Chicago Bull and Timberwolves star scored 28 points, while Embiid chipped in 23 to help the Sixers make half of their shots on the night. Butler got a loud standing ovation at the Wells Fargo Center during pregame introductions, this being his first home game since coming over in a five-player trade.
The 76ers got off to a hot start, outscoring the Jazz, 38-24, in the first quarter, but needed to hold off a Utah rally late. Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 31 points on 35 shot attempts, all without an assist, which blew the All-Star's mind when hearing his stat line after the game. Utah made the first basket of the game, but that was followed by a 12-0 76ers run, and the Jazz never led after that moment. They did close the deficit to two points by halftime, but dropped under .500 at 7-8 with the loss.
The win for the 76ers improves them to a perfect 8-0 on their home floor, but they head back on the road Saturday night to take on the Charlotte Hornets. Meanwhile, the Jazz will be in Boston to battle a familiar face in Gordon Hayward and the Celtics.
