NBA

76ers slide continues: 11 losses and counting…

76ers slide continues: 11 losses and counting…
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The 76ers have played 11 games.

They still haven’t been able to celebrate a win.

Though 71 games remain in the 2014-15 season, victories will certainly be scarce. The Sixers are the last team in the league without a win. They’re close to matching the franchise’s worst start of 0-15 during the dubious 9-73 season in 1972-73.

Philadelphia could also break the record for the most consecutive losses to open a season set by the New Jersey Nets with 18 in 2009-10.

The Sixers were upended by the Boston Celtics, 101-90, Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center. Next up is a home game against the high-flying Phoenix Suns Friday night followed by a trip to Madison Square Garden Saturday to face the New York Knicks.

At some point, the Sixers will pick up a win. Until then, the losses are mounting at a record pace.

“I think our guys deserve it,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said. “I have no complaints with what we do. They bang out good days, it’s just that they don’t get rewarded in the win column. That’s the judgment most people look at, which is fair because it’s pro sports. But we try to look in a little different direction.”

The Sixers were embarrassed by 53 points in a loss at Dallas. They’ve suffered home defeats to the Celtics and the Orlando Magic.

Nothing will come easy for the Sixers, who feature seven undrafted players on their extremely young roster.

“The only thing I’m strong about and feel a responsibility to make sure it doesn’t unravel is we have to keep the locker room together,” Brown said. “We have to keep our guys believing that if they don’t cheat days, if they really come in and invest in what we are selling, then there’s a chance of finding some wins, to keeping the group together and to keep developing our young players. That’s all we have and that’s all we’re saying and I believe it.”

Reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel were paired together in the starting lineup against the Celtics. Both players showed flashes of their ability but ultimately couldn’t propel the Sixers to their first win of the season.

“We’re still together,” Noel said. “We’re a young bunch and we have each others’ back no matter what. No matter what our record is we’re going to keep playing and giving it everything we’ve got.”

That’s all the Sixers can do.

On just about every night, they’re going to have to play a near-perfect game to come up with a victory.

In the meantime, they’re going to keep working.

“It will happen,” Brown said.

It nearly happened in Houston.

There will be other opportunities. But in this rebuilding plan, the current group Sixers will struggle.

“We just have to keep putting in the work,” guard Tony Wroten said. “It will turn. We’re standing together in here. We’re in this for the long run.”