It can’t get any worse for the Washington Wizards than it is now. Tonight the Wizards lost to the lowly Philadelphia 76ers 89-81, their sixth loss in a row. There last two losses have come against Philadelphia and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have a combined record of 26-89.

Even though the Sixers aren’t trying to win now as they look to build for the future they do compete. This is a young squad full of players trying to prove themselves as they look to impress not only their current team but other teams who might use their services in the future. However, the Washington Wizards on paper should have had their way with this club. This is another example that the Wizards are fading fast in the Eastern Conference.

Philadelphia was led by Nerlens Noel who recorded a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Noel was also very active defensively as he blocked three shots and recorded two steals. Robert Covington added 13 points and six rebounds, while Luc Richard Mbah a Moute scored 10 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out four assists. Jason Richardson was lights out from behind the arc as he dropped 12 points, all from three-point land.

John Wall also tallied a double-double with 21 points and 11 assists. Unfortunately, Wall had an off shooting night as went 7-of-26 from the field and he also turned the ball over four times. Wall was one of the few Wizards who played hard and competed on both ends of the floor. Otto Porter Jr. got the start tonight and he scored 19 points on 8-of-19 shooting. It was nice to see Porter aggressive on the offensive end. He could’ve been more efficient but he had some tough luck as several shots rimed out.

For both teams it was an eyesore to watch offensively. Philadelphia shot 35 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from the three-point line (12-of-33). Washington was worse as they shot 32.3 percent from the field and even worse from behind the arc at 23.5 percent (4-of-17). The Wizards were beat out in few categories tonight. These two were the distinct reasons why Washington lost their sixth game in a row, and 11 of their last 13.

What is concerning about the Wizards recent play is the difference in three-point shooting and the free throw line. The Sixers made and attempted more three’s and free throws than the Wizards did. Sometimes a team will have an advantage in one of those categories but you can’t give them both. Washington has to start taking one of those away and in turn being more aggressive on the offensive end.

John Wall could’ve been more efficient but he is giving more to this team than others. He had this to say after tonight’s embarrassing loss, “It’s a tough stretch. The main thing is we have to get back to playing the right way, and until we do that we’re going to keep losing games. Everybody has to look themselves in the face and say, ‘What can I do better? ‘Not stat-wise, but as a basketball player and a person. ‘What can I do to help this team win?”

Washington was down five at halftime, but they opened the third quarter on an 11-0 run. Immediately after a Philadelphia timeout they went on a 13-6 run and led 60-59 towards the end of the quarter. The Wizards were down two points at the end of the third, but quickly went down by eight because they didn’t make a field goal until the 9:15 mark in the fourth quarter. Washington stuck around but never regained the lead simply because of poor offensive execution.

The Wizards next game is tomorrow night back in Washington D.C. at 7:00 PM EST against the Detroit Pistons, who defeated this team less than a week ago by 17 points. This will be the final game of their four games in five nights. Philadelphia will play Sunday night at 6:00 PM in Indiana against the Pacers.