The 76ers' Season Summed Up in 1 Damian Lillard 3-Pointer
Iโve gone on at some length in regards to the frozen hellscape of contrived awfulness that is the 2014-15 Philadelphia 76ers.
We could spend a fortnight slamming nails in this team and its overwrought plans of self-sabotage. A dissertation could be written on the shame of eating Philadelphiaโs half-off loser pizza.ย
But nothing anyone can say or write would summarize the franchiseโs current campaign of futility more than one particular play from Monday nightโs game against the Portland Trail Blazers.ย
The 76ers suffered a surprisingly close 114-104 loss to Portland thanks to some decent play from Michael Carter-Williams. LaMarcus Aldridge would pave the way for the Trail Blazers with 33 points, but it was a play involving Damian Lillard that demonstrated the depths of apathy permeating the 76ers roster.ย
CJ Fogler crafted a GIF of the defining moment. Please watch. I will not spoil the surprise.
Three seconds or two dry swallowsโthatโs how long Lillard had to consider his shot after a Wesley Matthews drive-and-dish to the perimeter.ย
For three seconds the 76ers stood there, waiting and expectant of the damnation that always falls on their heads. The lack of reaction was so complete and bizarre that even Lillard seemed surprised.
The Trail Blazers guard paused in his gathering of the ball, as if to say, โWhatโs going on here? Was there a whistle?โ Nope. No whistle, just a team of paid professionals waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Eventually, Nerlens Noel realized that something had to be done in order for the game to continue and offered a token lunge. In any other reality, Lillard wouldโve missed the shot and the sequence wouldโve come up just short of perfectly terrible.
But this is the reality of the 76ers. They are bad to the point of fiction, and they got the ending they deserved.
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