The numbers look downright ugly. Riding their second five-game losing streak in a month, the Sixers have lost 13 out of their last 16 games, allowing more than 102 points per game over the last five losses.

To make matters worse, the Sixers opponents havent necessarily gotten hot during the losing stretch, either, shooting a robust but hardly eye-popping 48 percent. The problem, it seems, is that the Sixers have struggled to put the ball through the hoop.

Which is the name of the game.

Since scoring 103 points in the Jan. 1 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, the Sixers have topped out at 89 points. Moreover, during the 3-13 stretch, the Sixers have topped 100 points just four times and shot 44 percent from the field.

Worse, there have not been any fallback ways for the Sixers to get points. If they dont make shots from field, the Sixers arent going to the line to pick up the slack. They've averaged just 14.8 free-throw attempts in the last six games and are third-worst in the NBA in foul shots made.

Closing in on the midway point of the season, the Sixers rate below the league average in field-goal percentage (43.8 percent), three-pointers made and attempted, and foul shooting. Otherwise, the Sixers are just above mediocre in every other statistical category.

Andrew Bynum has yet to even step on the practice floor, let alone play in a game, and the Sixers have played nine of their last 10 games on the road with four straight back-to-backs mixed in. Thats a pretty daunting task for any team in the NBA, let alone one like the Sixers, who are fighting a scourge of injuries.

Still, the lack of offense is nothing new. The Sixers struggled to get points before the losing stretch and long trip on the road, and actually have shot the ball better from the field during the 3-13 stretch than they did when they were 10-6.

The difference, it seems, is in the turnovers. The Sixers have committed 15.2 turnovers per game during the latest five-game losing streak -- the same number of turnovers they averaged during their first five-game losing streak.

Turnovers could be the cause of fatigue -- both mental and physical. Certainly the road trip with so many games scheduled in such a short period could be a factor in that regard. In fact, coach Doug Collins made Fridays practice optional after no practice at all on Thursday.

Perhaps the extra rest could help the Sixers regain some semblance of their form.

The schedule is absolutely brutal, Collins said. "In 40 years in the NBA, I have never seen one like it."

Nevertheless, the Sixers can get cozy playing at home for the next month. With 14 games left before the All-Star break, the Sixers play 12 times at home with just two trips to one city -- Milwaukee.

Who knows, maybe Bynum will even return before the Sixers hit Milwaukee for the second time.

E-mail John Finger at jfinger@comcastsportsnet.com