PHILADELPHIA _ Justin Anderson doesn't like what he sees on the stat sheet.
The 76ers small forward headed into a 120-111 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday at the Wells Fargo Center shooting just 27.3 percent on 3-pointers in his 22 games as a Sixer.
The highlight of Monday's game was the ejections of Sixers reserve shooting guard Gerald Henderson and Pacers swingman Paul George with 2 minutes, 59 seconds left after exchanging elbows.
But Anderson knows his long-range shooting must change if he is to fit in next season when Ben Simmons (right foot surgery) and Joe Embiid (left knee) return to action.
"I have to start to prepare myself to be a high-level shooter for those guys," said Anderson, whose Sixers dropped to 28-53 after their final home game. "They need guys that are able to spot up and shoot. I already have the athleticism to cut off them and play off them in that sense.
"I'm a better shooter than what my percentages are showing right now."
That's' the biggest thing eating at him.
Anderson had another rough shooting night as the Sixers extended their losing streak to seven games. They finished with a 17-24 record at home.
Anderson made 1 of 4 shots and scored six points. He was 0 for 2 on three-pointers. Anderson failed to pick up a rebound or an assist in 21 minutes.
He missed his first three shots before making a 16-foot jumper with 2:41 left in the third quarter.
"So I can't wait to show [improved shooting] this whole summer," Anderson said.
He's still living in a hotel after his trade to the Sixers on Feb. 23. So the second-year player will look for an apartment and take some much-needed rest. Then he plans to get after it.
"I will make sure I'll do it the right way, because I'm going to change my body completely and change a lot of things to this summer to play at this fast pace that we like to play," he said.
The 6-foot-6, chiseled 229-pounder wants to get down to 220 to 225 pounds. He knows that he'll need to be in tip-top shape to play at a high level in the Sixers' up-tempo system.
"I want to shred up and be the best that I can be, man," he said.
George scored 27 points before he was ejected. Seventeen of his points came in the first quarter. Myles Turner added 18 points and a game-high 13 rebounds for the Pacers (41-40).
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot paced the Sixers with 24 points. Reserve power forward Alex Poythress finished with a career-high 15 points.
George and Henderson had to be separated and received double technical fouls with 5:08 remaining. Henderson was called for a foul when he and George collided and fell to the court. George then stood on top on Henderson. The Sixers guard responded by pushing George out of his way.
Then Henderson elbowed George in the chin on his way to the basket with 2:59 left. Henderson retaliated after George elbowed him in the back moments earlier. Henderson received a flagrant 2 foul while George received his second technical, leading to their ejections.
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