The Sixers (9-63) will continue their road trip when they face off against the Portland Trail Blazers (37-36) at the Moda Center on Saturday night (10 p.m./TCN).
Let’s take a closer look at the matchup:
1. Cruel and unusual punishment
It’s been a few days, but the Sixers still have to be wondering how they lost the last time they took the court.
After leading the action down the stretch, they watched rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay sink a wild buzzer-beater from 36 feet away in a deflating 104-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
“As hurtful and cruel as that was, we move on,” head coach Brett Brown said. "We come in and do our job. We believe that good days will add up.”
The Sixers aren’t alone in trying to get over a heartbreaking defeat.
The Blazers were the victims of a contested J.J. Redick jumper as time expired in a 96-94 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night. The loss was particularly painful for Portland, who is locked in a battle to claim one of the Western Conference’s final playoff spots.
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2. Dame Dollar
While the Sixers will need all hands on deck to try and rebound from their loss in Denver, the Blazers will look to one man to get the team back on track: Damian Lillard.
Lillard actually had what can be considered an off game for him with 18 points on 4 of 16 shooting in the Trail Blazers’ loss to the Clippers. It marked just the third time in 13 games this month that he scored less than 20 points.
That’s mainly because Lillard has been playing out of his mind since being snubbed for the All-Star Game. Since the break, the fourth-year point guard has averaged 29.1 points, 5.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds a game.
And don’t think for a second he has forgotten what happened the last time the Sixers and Blazers matched up. Lillard scored just 14 points on 4 of 18 shooting in the season’s first meeting, as the Blazers were dealt a 114-89 beatdown at the Wells Fargo Center.
Lillard and the Blazers will certainly have revenge on the brain Saturday night when they try to avoid a series sweep for the first time since 2008-09.
3. Deep thinkers
With Jahlil Okafor out for the remainder of the season and Nerlens Noel still banged up, the only way the Sixers will be able to get another win to avoid tying the NBA’s worst mark all time is to rely on their three-point shooting.
The plan nearly worked against the Nuggets. The Sixers connected on 15 of 37 (40.5 percent) in the one-point loss. Hollis Thompson led the way with four three-pointers, while Isaiah Canaan and Robert Covington each knocked down three shots from beyond the arc.
The Sixers had success from long distance against the Blazers in the season’s first meeting. They drilled 10 of 23 three-pointers in the win.
That could continue Saturday, as the Blazers rank 26th in the NBA in opponents’ three-point percentage (36.8).
If the Sixers don’t get their threes to fall, it could be a long night.
4. Injuries
Meyers Leonard (shoulder) was ruled out for the season by the Blazers on Friday.
Nerlens Noel (knee) is a game-time decision for the Sixers.
5. This and that
• The Sixers are 1-4 in their last five visits to Portland.
• The Blazers are currently sixth in the Western Conference playoff race but just 1½ games from being on the outside looking in.
• The Sixers have lost 11 straight games on the road.
• Blazers guard C.J. McCollum had just 13 points on 6 for 18 shooting in the first matchup.