MILWAUKEE - Especially with Joel Embiid's minutes being monitored closely, the 76ers are still a work in progress offensively.
But one thing is certain: When the ball is moving, chances are the Sixers are winning. That was the case Tuesday when they recorded assists on 35 of 45 makes in a victory over the Clippers and was true again Wednesday night in Milwaukee, when the Sixers posted a 114-109 victory over the Bucks.
But while the final box shows 32 assists on 40 made baskets; respectable numbers, for sure, they don't tell the entire story.
The Sixers got hot early and scored 72 points - their most in any half this season - on 62 percent shooting in the first half. They hit 28 shots in the half and assisted on 25 of them, with point guard T.J. McConnell recording nine.
Do the math, though, and it's easy to see that things didn't work out quite so well in the second, and it's no coincidence that the Sixers found themselves scrambling down the stretch to pull out a victory.
The Sixers have plenty of scoring options, especially down low with the mix of Embiid, Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel and Richaun Holmes, and a willing distributor at the point in McConnell, who has 47 assists to 12 turnovers in his last five games, but it's the Sixers' defense that has to set the tone for head coach Brett Brown.
Philadelphia 76ers
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia 76ers and their rivals in the NBA from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
"If we could have our offense catch our defense, we are going to be in good shape," Brown said. "Right now it's not even close. Our defense is way ahead of our offense. We are trying to take the realities of our roster and play as a team. We have to play as a team. Thirty-five assists on 45 makes - that's how we feel is our best chance to score. It's a credit to our guys to buy into it."
The Sixers are currently among the league's top-10 teams in opponents' shooting percentage (45 percent) and 11th in defensive rebounding, with 33.8 per game.
With the victories starting to pile up, the belief in head coach Brett Brown's philosophy is starting to grow inside the Sixers' locker room.
"This team is well-balanced and we're bringing a lot of tenacity, especially on the defensive end," said Noel, who scored four points in the final minute to put Milwaukee away. "I think it translates to offense with getting transition buckets and guys are stepping up.
"I think the guidance that has come from Coach Brown, and focusing on defense, then everything else comes into place. They were up early, we got the lead, then they came back, and we still found ways to get good, efficient shots. And it worked out for us."
