76ers lose 10th in row
Dismantled roster cannot overcome Nowitzki, Dallas
Forward Thaddeus Young tried valiantly but couldn’t mask his disappointment. As the Philadelphia 76ers head to the top of the NBA draft lottery, Young acted like somebody who lost out on the Powerball jackpot after expecting to cash in.
This was the first day after the 76ers roster was gutted for a series of nondescript players and a bundle of second-round picks.
And now Young, 25 and the only remaining 76er from their most recent playoff team — all the way back in 2011-12 — was putting up a brave front. His disappointment, however, at being on a team with the NBA’s secondworst record was evident.
Before the host 76ers suffered their 10th consecutive loss Friday night, a 124-112 setback against the Dallas Mavericks at Wells Fargo Center, Young was asked if he felt left out, having to stay on the team while Spencer Hawes, Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen were dealt away.
“I am not going to lie, a little bit, but like I said at the end of the day the situation is what it is,” said Young, who had 30 points on a careerhigh 29 shots, 13 rebounds and a career-high six assists. Dallas was led by perennial all-star Dirk Nowitzki, who had 25 points, hitting 9 of 10 from the field and all five 3-point attempts.
To his credit, Young talked about being more than a leader and insisted his effort wouldn’t wane.
“It is definitely one of those things that is hard to deal with, but I feel I am strong enough to deal with that situation and be ready each and every night,” he said.
Then a little bit more honestly came through.
“This situation, I don’t know how much worse it can get.”
And it’s not just on the court. For Monday’s home game against the only team with a worse record, the Milwaukee Bucks, tickets on StubHub.com could be purchased for as little as $6.
Other games
Raptors 98, Cavaliers 91: Terrence Ross scored 20 points to help Toronto snap Cleveland’s six-game winning streak. Jonas Valanciunas added 18 as the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors won for the fourth time in five games. Luol Deng had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the visiting Cavaliers, who were looking for their first sevengame win streak since 2010.
Grizzlies 102, Clippers 96: Zach Randolph had 21 points and 11 rebounds, Marc Gasol added 17 points and 10 rebounds and host Memphis held on to beat Los Angeles.
Bulls 117, Nuggets 89: D.J. Augustin had 22 points and eight assists as Chicago routed visiting Denver for its fifth win in a row.
Magic 129, Knicks 121: Arron Afflalo had 32 points, rookie Victor Oladipo added 30 and a career-high 14 assists, and host Orlando rallied to beat New York in double overtime.
Bobcats 90, Pelicans 87: Al Jefferson had 33 points and 10 rebounds as Charlotte beat visiting New Orleans for its third consecutive victory since the All-Star break.
Pistons 115, Hawks 107: Andre Drummond had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Kyle Singler made two key 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter to lead host Detroit past Atlanta.
Suns 106, Spurs 85: Ish Smith scored a career-high 15 points and triggered a 17-point second-quarter run that propelled Phoenix past visiting San Antonio, which had won four in a row.