How Bob Marley reminded everyone that a Sixers loss in November is OK

Philadelphia — Andre Drummond was not prepared to step into a torrential downpour late Sunday night.

He took the podium in an undershirt, jean shorts and a red hat. Drummond's coffee-stained hoodie was in the car.

"Bobby!" he called out, followed by a kissing noise and a whistle.

In ran his dog, Bob Marley.

Bob Marley joined Drummond at the podium, excited to play with his human. When it became clear that dad was busy, Bob Marley laid down next to Drummond, waiting for whatever instructions his pal provided next.

Not before one perfect photo, though:

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— Austin Krell (@austinkrell.bsky.social) November 9, 2025 at 11:09 PM

Bobby didn't have to do much to provide a moment of levity.

While people on the internet were foaming at the mouth to dissect a three-point defeat at the hands of the Detroit Pistons, Bob Marley served as a reminder that a loss in early November can just be another mundane outcome over the course of a long season.

The Sixers are 6-4 through 10 games. They've played three sets of back-to-backs already. There have been daunting constraints on two of their core rotation players. A key role player who fills a significant need and yet has missed all but 1.5 games due to a mysterious cut on his elbow. Another important piece who has yet to suit up at all.

8 of the Sixers' 10 games have hung in the balance deep into the fourth quarter. They have a point differential of plus-3.9.

Results have to matter. They keep players in the rotation, coaches and executives employed and fans in the seats. But process has to matter, too.

Philadelphia did not earn its sixth win of last season until early December. Six wins, given what the Sixers have dealt with thus far, is just fine.

Make no mistake, they know there's a ton of work to be done.

Satisfied? No. Nick Nurse cannot go more than two media availabilities in a row without referring to the hole the Sixers put themselves in last season.

Resting easier? Yeah, that seems like the right way to put it.

Speaking of rest, the Sixers could use some relief. VJ Edgecombe, in particular, could use some time off his feet.

As he left the locker room on Sunday, Drummond told Edgecombe to stay in bed until 6 p.m. on Monday, a league-mandated off day immediately following a back-to-back.

Drummond can see the fatigue on Edgecombe.

"On the way out of the locker room, I looked at him, he looks exhausted. He's been playing amazing for us these past 10 games," Drummond said.

"We're asking a lot of him for his first year here, so he deserves a break, he deserves a rest. So, 6 p.m., VJ, if you see this, keep your ass in bed."

Edgecombe's minutes were down on Sunday. The adjustment to scheduling at this level has affected his offense the most. Yet, his fourth-quarter poise has reminded everyone that he will be one of the guys holding up this franchise in the years to come.

Edgecombe had missed his last 10 threes before lining one up on the wing to bring the Sixers to within two points as the fourth quarter ticked down to the two-minute warning. He scored six straight points late in the fourth quarter in Saturday's win over the Toronto Raptors.

Even as Edgecombe burns the candle at both ends of the floor, he's saving something for the guts of the game. He will regress back toward whatever he is right now as the schedule evens out.

The Sixers held a 12-point advantage in the third quarter on Sunday. They responded well after an early punch from a good team, one that had matchup advantages across multiple positions and rest on its side.

The third quarters have been a concerning trend for Philadelphia — at least depending on who you ask. Nurse certainly doesn't seem bothered by the fact that his team isn't putting the nail in the coffin before the fourth quarter.

"I think it's just basketball. I think you're probably watching other games too and you're watching them go back and forth a little bit," Nurse told reporters after the loss.

"I think it's just basketball."

There's some truth in that. A 12-point lead is basically nothing in the modern NBA. That's an important truth that gets rationalized right until your favorite team blows that lead. Then it's a disaster.

But every bad third quarter sets up a critical fourth quarter. The Sixers cannot keep playing from behind in the final 12 minutes. The luck will run out eventually.

Drummond, who registered 17 points and 12 rebounds in 35 minutes, ran out of it late in the fourth quarter.

He's taken a liking to the corner three in recent years, and especially so early this season. Drummond knocked down two of them in this game. So he tried his hand at a third. It would've tied the game with just under three minutes to play.

That's a less consequential shot if the Sixers had taken care of business in the third quarter. But they didn't. So now they'll live with Drummond choosing that time and place.

"Well, he hit a couple. He hit a couple already. I mean, listen, they're going to pack in there. Every now and then, you're going to end up with that kick-out as the shot," Nurse said of that possession.

"Again, I think if he was 0-for-0 or 0-for-3 at that time, I might have a different thing. But he had already hit a couple. He's certainly made those a little more consistently this year and taken them in pretty good rhythm, which I think can help us in the long run."

Needless to say, Nurse wasn't going to fault him for that decision.

The head coach was also prepared to double-down on his team's final possession of the game.

The Sixers were down three with 17 seconds left. Detroit dialed up the ball pressure and switched everything. Philadelphia couldn't make any progress toward the basket. A fumbled ball later, Tyrese Maxey was firing an off-balance three to try and send the game to overtime.

Just a little bit off the mark. The Sixers left a timeout on the table and got a messy shot out of their last chance.

"We were trying to get downhill and get the quick two. We thought we had plenty of time to not hunt down a three," Nurse said. 

"But it looked like we had a little bobble of the ball, and then it kind of turned into whatever it was going to turn into."

Maxey had a similar account of what was supposed to happen.

"Hand back to Kelly, give him a driving opportunity," Maxey told reporters postgame.

"They kind of switched it, we got stuck. So at that point, it was late. Couldn't really drive it to get two to try and foul them. So we tried to get a three up at that point."

Crunch-time execution is on Nurse's list of improvements after the first 10 games.

Unless the health devil drags the Sixers back to hell, they will get better there.

In the meantime, Philadelphia has earned its rest after a ridiculously unbalanced first 10 games of the schedule.

So as the rain poured down on Xfinity Mobile Arena late Sunday night, Drummond and Bob Marley exited, looking forward to a day off.