76ers at Nuggets
The Philadelphia 76ers are still trying to get to double digits in
victories and take another swing at it when they visit the Denver
Nuggets on Wednesday. Philadelphia has failed on its first six attempts
to get to 10 wins and has lost 19 of its last 20 games.
The 76ers are just 3-32 on the road and the stop in Denver is the second contest of a four-game excursion that ends with road games against the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors. Philadelphia started the road trip by scoring 20 or fewer points in each quarter while suffering a 91-75 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday. Denver has dropped four of its last five games and was thoroughly thrashed 124-91 by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. "It was embarrassing, an embarrassing effort," Nuggets coach Michael Malone told reporters. "A very good team, obviously, a team that went to the (NBA) Finals, but I thought in the second half we quit. I haven't seen that from our team most of the year. I'm very disappointed with that."
TV: 9 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE 76ERS (9-62): Philadelphia has lost more than 60 games for the third straight season and coach Brett Brown made a stunning revelation prior to Monday's loss. "I feel like the rebuild as people know it, the severe rebuild as we have known it, those days are over," Brown declared to reporters. "We feel like we have a chance to go into a different place now. What that means in terms of wins, we don't know yet." Rookie center Jahlil Okafor is one of the building blocks and he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Tuesday to repair meniscus damage.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (29-42): Denver clinched its third consecutive losing campaign with the loss to Cleveland, a streak that follows a stretch of 10 straight winning seasons. The Nuggets need two victories to pass last season's win total and could achieve that by Friday with the lowly 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers next up on the slate. Leading scorer Danilo Gallinari (ankle) has missed the past 12 games and he may not play again this season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Nuggets posted a 108-105 victory over the 76ers on Dec. 5 in a game where the teams combined to make 26 3-pointers - 15 by the 76ers.
2. Philadelphia G Isaiah Canaan has made 158 3-point baskets this season, fifth most in franchise history.
3. Denver PF Kenneth Faried (back) has missed three straight games and is questionable for Wednesday.