5 observations from Sixers-Jazz: Poythress imposes his will; Korkmaz struggles in debut

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SALT LAKE CITY – Another down-to-the-wire finish didn't go the Sixers’ way. After struggles in the second and third quarters, the Sixers made the Jazz sweat it out in the final minute before falling 100-94 to Utah at the Huntsman Center (see game recap).

Markelle Fultz provided fourth-quarter heroics and paced the team with 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Alex Poythress finished just shy of a double-double, going for 17 points and eight rebounds.

With one game remaining in the Utah Jazz Summer League, the Sixers will try to close out on a positive note without Fultz in the lineup. He will earn some designated rest and sit out against the Spurs. Given the dynamic role Fultz has played on offense in the first two contests, that will be a steep hill for the Sixers to climb without him.

Here are five more observations from Wednesday's game:

1. The Sixers imposed their will on the glass against the Jazz and it paid off nicely late in the game. The overall rebound margin favored the Sixers 39-36 and they had a 15-10 edge on the offensive boards. What they did with those boards made a huge impact in turning the game around. The Sixers finished with a 36-12 advantage in second-chance points.

2. It looks like Utah may have fleeced Denver again on draft night. The Nuggets famously traded away Rudy Gobert to the Jazz after selecting him. They did the same with Donovan Mitchell and he appears poised to be another special player. Mitchell hit several big baskets and played tenacious defense against the Sixers. He scored 15 points and tallied three steals.

3. Furkan Korkmaz will be better. It's hard to rag on his performance against the Jazz given that the Turkish rookie hit the court only a day after signing a contract and flying out to Utah. His shot was rusty, but he played with great energy. Once his shot starts falling in summer league play, he could be a major thorn in the side of opposing defenses.

4. The Sixers need to find some consistency with their outside shooting. They went 6 for 13 from distance in the fourth quarter, but were only 6 of 21 from the perimeter in the other three quarters combined.

5. Poythress is doing his best to show his strong performances in April were no fluke. He did a good job having his way around the rim. The Sixers want him to figure out how to better impose his will in games during summer league play. Poythress showed he is well on his way to doing that.

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