Philadelphia Sixers coach Doc Rivers was bold about why they have lost three of their last five games. After Sunday’s defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies, Rivers said the condensed schedule this year is a factor in their recent slump (via The Athletic's Derek Bodner). 

True enough, this season’s schedule has been pretty tight due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The offseason was cut short and all teams have to play a game almost one night after the other. The Sixers may have been bothered by fatigue over the past couple of games. Aside from the loss to the Grizzlies, they also dropped their assignments versus the Denver Nuggets and the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Despite their recent losses, the Sixers are tied with the Brooklyn Nets atop the Eastern Conference, where they have been throughout the season. The team held up relatively fine when Joel Embiid was sidelined for three weeks due to a knee injury. The MVP candidate made his return on Saturday against the Minnesota Timberwolves but sat out against the Grizzlies. It was the second night of a back-to-back schedule so it does make sense why Rivers pointed out the condensed schedule being a factor in the team’s recent losses.

The concern for the Sixers moving forward is getting Embiid back to MVP form come postseason time. Embiid, who’s had a long history of injuries in his career, tallied 24 points, eight rebounds, and two assists in 29 minutes against the Timberwolves.  

The Sixers look to bounce back in their next couple of games versus the Boston Celtics, New Orleans Pelicans, and Oklahoma City Thunder.