Sixers-Knicks takeaways: Philly misses defensive leaders; Joel Embiid extends streaks; team quits

The 76ers missed De’Anthony Melton and Robert Covington more than the casual fans think.

Their Sixer teammates appeared to quit in the fourth quarter. And Joel Embiid’s streaks were the only Sixers positives from the night.

Those three things stood out in the 128-92 loss to the New York Knicks on Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

While unheralded, Melton and Covington are two of the Sixers best defenders.

Melton, the Sixers starting shooting guard, is tied for third in the NBA in steals at 1.7 per game. He also ranks fifth in the league in deflections with an average of 3.3. Covington is 10th in deflections at 3 per game. He leads the NBA in deflections per 36 minutes at 6.5, while Melton ranks seventh (4.1).

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The Sixers (23-11) could have used them on a night when they struggled defensively.

The Knicks (20-15) made 18 of 41 mostly wide-open three-point attempts. They also shot 52.1% from the field in the first half.

But Melton (lumbar spine soreness) and Covington (left knee effusion) were sidelined for their second consecutive game due to injuries.

In their absence, the Sixers handed extended minutes to several end-of-the bench players, including KJ Martin and Jaden Springer.

“We had a lot of lineup changes and guys in and out, switching out as far as our lineup,” Marcus Morris said. “So we have to keep adjusting, keep trying to get some rhythm and some consistency.”

With Melton out, the Sixers had a starting lineup that consisted of Nic Batum, Tobias Harris, Embiid, Kelly Oubre, and Tyrese Maxey for the second straight game. Oubre and Batum are currently battling for the fifth-starter spot.

The Sixers bench took a hit with both of them in the starting lineup against New York. The Knicks bench outscored the Sixers, 49-15.

As bad as the Sixers played, coach Nick Nurse felt they still had a chance after losing the gap to 93-80 with just over 11 minutes remaining.

But Quentin Grimes buried a three-pointer to jumpstart a 21-1 run that gave New York a commanding, 114-81, lead with 5 minutes, 53 seconds remaining.

The Sixers’ effort took a major hit during the decisive run. It was like they threw in the towel, knowing they had another game Saturday against the Utah Jazz.

“I think you’re going to be disappointed in the effort tonight,” Nurse said. “I’m not going to sit here and say like blanket effort was bad. But I always think when it is 20ish even with five or six [minutes] to go, you still may have a shot to climb back in it these days.

“So yeah, I didn’t think we made a couple shots …. The ball just wouldn’t go in, and it was deflating us to get back and play transition. They got a bunch of transition baskets.”

Embiid finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks. He made 10 of his 23 shots and went 9-for-12 from the foul line. His effort enabled him to extend his pair of franchise-record streaks. He notched his 16th consecutive game with at least 30 points. It was also his 15th straight contest with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.

Embiid has tallied a 30-point double-double in 20 of his 27 games this season, the most such games in the NBA.