Six days ago, we asked which of the NBA’s four undefeated teams would be the last to lose. One after another, over the next three nights, the Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Spurs removed themselves from that conversation, suffering their first losses of the young season and leaving the Sixers as the last undefeated team standing.
With a one-point win over Portland on Saturday night, the 76ers kept that streak alive, and will enter tonight’s action with a 5-0 record. Buoyed by the NBA’s best rebounding rate and a defense that leads the league in steals, Philadelphia has put together its streak while still finding its way on offense. Now we’ll see how just much longer the club can stay out of the loss column.
Although Saturday’s win over the Trail Blazers was a good one, it was just the start of a challening road trip for the Sixers, who will play in Phoenix tonight, in Utah on Wednesday, and in Denver on Friday.
If Philadelphia can make it through that gauntlet unscathed, the team will be rewarded with winnable home games against the Hornets (November 10) and Cavaliers (Nov. 12) before going back on the road to face Orlando (Nov. 13), Oklahoma City (Nov. 15), and Cleveland again (Nov. 17).
The most likely scenario for the Sixers is dropping one of this week’s road games — the Jazz and Nuggets are expected to be among the West’s best teams, while the Suns are off to a good start and won’t have to face Joel Embiid, who is serving the final game of his two-game suspension tonight.
Plus, over the last few years, the NBA’s last undefeated team typically hasn’t gotten much further than this point without losing. The Bucks started 7-0 in 2018; the Clippers and Spurs went 4-0 in 2017; and the Cavaliers went 6-0 to open the 2016/17 season.
Of course, it wouldn’t be unprecedented for Philadelphia to continue its season-opening win streak into the double digits. In fact, the Warriors did much better than that in the fall of 2015 when they opened the season with an incredible 24-game winning streak. That Golden State squad was also the NBA’s best regular season team of all-time though, finishing the year with a 73-9 record. It seems safe to say the Sixers aren’t on that level.
What do you think? Will the 76ers’ run as the league’s last undefeated team end soon, or can they keep this streak going for at least few more games?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your prediction.
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cue mr. Cus Crise to tell us the Sixers don’t actually have any good players and the celtics are the best team in the league
76ers are a joke. Years and years of tanking brought you marginally decent players made of glass and brains of wood. They’ll make it to first round. Then, the whooshing sound you here is that of a commercial grade commode.
Says the Celtics fan who has 43 first and second round draft picks in the next 10 years and accomplished absolutely….
Nothing.
Acquired draft capital after 2008 CHAMPIONSHIP. I wouldn’t call Tatum and Brown “nothing”. Fultz and how many other tanking number ones (see: Okafors, plural) in ENTIRE draft have you gone through? Your last title was 1983. Smh. So pathetic
I’m a Warriors fan. See below. I agree, Sixers of done zilch. And they practically admitted to tanking.
But…, I’m not sure I agree with the way Danny Ainge does business. He’s just stockpiling and stockpiling and stockpiling picks. He almost! thought about trying to make a move when he signed Al Horford but that didn’t work out so great as far as championships and banners. I love Stevens and a lot of the players.. just not Ainge.
As long as the officials stop calling fouls on sixer players in the 4th..
Talk about a team that should have players fouling out of every game..
82-0
Taking that bet that you’re proposing is the biggest no-brainer in the history of mankind. You name the price and I will definitely say the Sixers will NOT go 82-0.
I look forward to collecting sometime this weekend. If not, then sometime next week. If not, maybe by the first of the year. But it’s guaranteed I will collect LOL.
Hahaha. They’ll win 45 games. Then bye-bye
Havent played anyone good yet besides blazer and blazer still dont have the size to match up with sixers. Will be interesting to see them face lakers/ clippers/spurs/bucks
Celtics on opening night was a great win for the sixers.
Pffft. Let’s see what happens in May, after Pacers takes Philly out
The Sixers signed the Celtics best player and then beat them.
It’s like saying it’s a accomplishment when Durant and the Warriors beat OKC the next season.
I love having the Sixers compared to the 73-9 Warriors. Thank you.
Yes, for 1 game. Enjoy.
82-0
Just to be that guy, 5-77
And now it begins
I like how the 6ers will match up with the other top contenders. Against the bucks, we have Horford and Embid who can take turns trying to guard Giannis. Against the Lakers we can put Embid on AD and Bron vs Simmons/Richardson/Harris. The Clippers would probably be the hardest match up, cause we don’t exactly have a wing lockdown we can try Thybulle, Harris and Simmons, but at the same time they will have a hard time stopping Embid.
All our other match ups we look good against and our young depth is looking alright.
Won’t make it out of the first round. No depth. Your starting lineup will be wearing oxygen masks before the trade deadline.
Let me say this on this thread, in the Warriors Heyday the last five years, it seems like the Celtics played them the toughest of anyone in the regular season. It was always 1-1 sometimes 2-O Celtics. And these were my Championship Warriors.
But the Celtics lost a lot with Al Horford leaving town in my opinion. But kudos to their grit and Marcus Smart, Brad Stevens, Etc.
GSW are a class organization. They earned the respect of the league because of the players, staff, and management. Successful in the way they went about building that team. They didn’t tank for two decades. Their players don’t flop on the floor, looking for a ref. Great venue, great fan base. You’ll get past this year, I believe your team will be better for it.
GSW who don’t have Curry for the next few months, don’t have Thompson for the season won’t be making the playoffs. And by the way the fan base was made up of a lot of bandwagon fans.
Warriors will be fine. Get a good draft pick and retool next year.
In the meantime the Warriors will get some nice surprising wins against playoff teams and that’ll be a lot of fun to watch.
I can’t wait to see them fight hard against the Rockets Wednesday night. ESPN baby 7:30 Eastern.
You know something, I would disagree with the bandwagon fans being a huge number. I think they have one of the best fan bases in sports there in the Bay Area and even when times are tough we supported them.
6ers almost beat the 2019 champions but only because Kawhis Hail Mary shot that went in. They have only gotten better players from last year and have good depth. Burke and Neto are nice, Korkmaz just hit a game winning 3, Thybulle leads the league in steals and is also good at blocking for a guard. James Ennis is decent, Mike Scott is alright, Kyle OQuinn is a really good board man. Then we have Bolden, Smith, Milton and more.
If the dog hadn’t stopped to take a deuce, he’d have caught the rabbit. Excuses, excuses.