Give Lonnie Walker IV credit for repeatedly looking for a positive in an otherwise negative season for the Philadelphia 76ers.
With losses in 12 games in a row and in 27 of their past 30, the 76ers (23-56) will attempt to stop the skid on Wednesday night when they visit the Wizards (17-62) in Washington, D.C.
“We just want to finish the season as strong as we can,” Walker said, per The Philadelphia Inquirer. “There’s really no rhyme or reason of what we are doing and things of that nature as far as like, ‘Do we want to lose?’ No. You know, we’re all coming in every day with the intent to win.
“Everyone is still approaching the next day like we’ve still got 82 games left.”
Thankfully, the 76ers have just three games remaining — and Wednesday’s contest will mark their final road contest. They’ll wrap up the season at home against the Atlanta Hawks (Friday) and Chicago Bulls (Sunday).
“We’ve got a great group of guys who are consistently putting in work until we don’t have any time left,” Walker said. “I think we’re treating every day and every game like it’s our last game.”
Walker matched a career high with six 3-pointers and joined Quentin Grimes in scoring 29 points apiece on Monday in the 76ers’ 117-105 setback to the Miami Heat.
Grimes has averaged 26.8 points in four games this month but is listed as questionable against the Wizards because of back soreness.
Rookie Adem Bona collected 16 points and 11 rebounds for the 76ers on Monday.
“The results are not going our way,” he said, per The Inquirer. “It doesn’t mean we are not trying. But we are giving our best out there and building toward next year.”
Included in Philadelphia’s 12-game losing streak is a 119-114 setback at home to Washington on March 26. The Wizards scored 45 points in the first quarter in that game en route to evening the season series at one victory apiece.
Like the 76ers, Washington is straining to see the positives this season — but there are a few.
The Eastern Conference cellar-dwelling Wizards lost their third straight game and 11th in the last 13 outings with a 104-98 setback to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
Justin Champagnie recorded 20 points and 13 rebounds and rookie Alex Sarr had 20 and 12, respectively.
Sarr, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, made his thoughts known that his name should be included when discussing potential Rookie of the Year candidates.
“I definitely belong in that conversation,” the 19-year-old told The Washington Post. “That’s not up to me. Everything is out there: the games and the stats. We’ll see what happens at the end. I’ve been constantly improving through the season, and I’m finishing out strong, trying to keep building that momentum.”
Sarr averaged a robust 16.4 points per game last month. Included in that stretch was a 24-point performance on 10-of-17 shooting from the floor — and 4-of-7 from 3-point range — against Philadelphia on March 26.
–Field Level Media
