Sixers still struggling to win often on the road, but they’re better at it than last season

TAMPA, Fla. — The 76ers have the Eastern Conference’s best home record of 13-2. Yet, Tuesday’s 109-102 win over the Raptors at the Amalie Arena made the visitors just 8-9 away from the Wells Fargo Center this season.

While it’s not a bad as last season, there’s still a home-and-away disparity for the Sixers.

Philly was 10-24 on the road last season before the NBA shutdown in March. Meanwhile, the team was 28-1 at home. When the season resumed, it was in the bubble in Kissimmee, Fla., so the remaining games were played on neutral courts.

Doc Rivers, in his first year as Sixers coach, was asked what he made of this season’s disparity.

“Well, first of all, that means we are better than last year already,” the coach said. “So I can show you that we are improving, you know? It’s slow and steady.

“Some of these road games, we have not been at full strength. I think we forget that. Joel [Embiid] and Ben [Simmons] have missed several games on the road, and that has hurt us as well.”

While Rivers wasn’t with the Sixers last season, he sees that his team is playing better on the road this season.

The product might be better. But the Sixers are slightly better record-wise. They were 7-10 through their first 17 road games last season.

This season, they snapped a four-game road losing streak with Tuesday’s win.

» READ MORE: Tobias Harris helps Sixers beat Raptors, 109-102, while Joel Embiid is held to 3 made field goals