76ers' No-Foul Games Are Having an Early Impact

The Sixers failed to create an identity last season. They believed they were championship contenders heading into the season, and their plans fell flat once most of the core members suffered injuries. The setbacks piled on to the point where the Sixers’ season derailed.

Outside of the physical setbacks, the Sixers found themselves getting overly frustrated with a lack of calls throughout the 2024-2025 season. Instead of consistently stating their case for foul calls when on the court, Maxey and the Sixers attempted to embrace the physicality that might come with the game.

“You got to play through some of those hits, offensively and then defensively, you got to be aggressive, go out there and guard your yard sometimes.,” Maxey added.

The Sixers are playing a different brand of basketball. It’s quick, aggressive, and can be physical. It might not always be perfect, but it wins games. So far, the Sixers are 3-0 on the year, after their recent win against the Orlando Magic on Monday night.

Philly out-fouled the Magic and even lost the standout reserve Quentin Grimes in the second half after six fouls, but they still knew how to close out the game while missing some core pieces. A 136-124 win in Philadelphia was just another example of who the Sixers could be throughout the year.

The Sixers will be put through another test on Tuesday night, when they take on the Washington Wizards on the road for their first back-to-back set of the year. Last season, the Wizards snapped a six-game losing streak against Philadelphia, but the Sixers still won the season series 2-1. The slate is wiped clean in late October, as the 76ers search for a path to get to 4-0.