The 76ers will be without Joel Embiid and Paul George when they face the Orlando Magic in Tuesday night’s NBA Cup game at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The perennial All-Stars were scratched from the game on Tuesday afternoon.
George is sidelined with a sprained right ankle. Meanwhile, Embiid will miss his eighth consecutive game because of knee injuries. The 2023 MVP was listed as questionable on Monday evening and Tuesday morning.
So what happened?
“Just not quite there yet [to play],” coach Nick Nurse said of Embiid before the game. “I mean, you guys know that we said yesterday that he practiced fully, and he participated in most, well, I don’t know, parts of the shootaround today, but just not quite there.”
If Embiid’s still not quite ready, why did the Sixers list him as questionable?
“I guess I would say there was a chance he would be ready,” Nurse said. “I think that’s what we have to do. It was trending towards he was going to play.”
This contest will mark the seventh straight game Embiid has missed as the team manages the soreness in his right knee. He also missed the Sixers’ 111-108 home loss to the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 9 because he doesn’t play on back-to-back nights to rest his left knee.
Embiid, who has no structural damage to his right knee, had been listed as day to day. The 7-foot-2, 280-pounder has already missed 10 of the Sixers’ 16 games because of knee ailments. He is averaging 19.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 23.3 minutes.
Sixers center Joel Embiid watches his teammates play the Orlando Magic on Oct. 27.
George injured his ankle in Sunday’s 127-117 loss to the Miami Heat. The nine-time All-Star had 10 points and five assists in his third game of the season. He missed the first 12 as he recovered from a left knee injury.
Nurse was asked if there was any additional information on George’s ankle that caused him to be downgraded from probable to out.
“Nope,” he said. “Just that it is reported soreness in the ankle after the game the other night. He has not been in anything since then, and we’re just trying to keep following up with that and see where he is.”
The 6-8, 220-pounder is averaging 13.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and one block in 22.0 minutes.
Nurse said the Sixers have yet to determine whether George will miss an extended period of time with the injury.
“I think we’re in the process of checking in to see what exactly is wrong and what the extent of it is,” he said. “We’ll, obviously, give you that when we have it.”
Two other starters, Kelly Oubre Jr. (sprained left knee) and VJ Edgecombe (left calf strain), and reserve center Adem Bona (sprained right ankle) will remain sidelined for Tuesday’s game.
As a result, Tyrese Maxey and Dominick Barlow, who started the first two games in place of George, are the Sixers’ only available starters from the opening day lineup.
Joel Embiid’s availability is either the NBA’s biggest mystery or the 76ers’ best-kept secret.
The 2023 MVP has missed the last seven games because of knee injuries. So what is his status for Tuesday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic at Xfinity Mobile Arena?
“The same as it was,” coach Nick Nurse said Monday, hours before Embiid was listed as questionable. “He’s still day to day.”
Embiid has missed the last six games because of soreness in his right knee. He also missed the Sixers’ 111-108 home loss to the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 9 because he doesn’t play on back-to-back nights as part of the rest and recovery plan for his left knee.
The Sixers have said there’s no structural damage to his right knee. So what’s holding up his return?
“Just waiting for doctors to clear him,” Nurse said.
Asked if Embiid has been a full participant at practice, the coach said he was during Monday’s session. Nurse said the center is in good spirits despite being sidelined for two weeks.
“He’s a little frustrated about it,” the coach said. “But I think it was cognizant that he was feeling something there, and he immediately wanted to get it figured out.
“Like I said last night, he’s trying to do a lot of stuff to try to get back on the floor. So his spirits are good.”
The 7-foot-2, 280-pounder has missed 10 of the Sixers’ 16 games. He is averaging 19.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 23.3 minutes.
Sixers center Joel Embiid (left) talking with Tyrese Maxey after a victory against the Orlando Magic on Oct. 27.
The expectation was that Embiid would miss some time this season after arthroscopic surgery in his left knee in April. It was his second left-knee surgery in 14 months and third in nine years.
The plan was for Embiid sit out the second night of back-to-back games. He also wasn’t expected to play when there were fewer than two days of rest between games.
But now Embiid hasn’t played since Nov. 8, when he scored a season-high 29 points and posted six rebounds and four assists in a season-high 25 minutes, 57 seconds against the Toronto Raptors.
He has missed 64 games since the start of the 2023-24 season because of injuries. Embiid played in 39 games in 2023-24 and 19 games last season.
“As a friend, you want him to be healthy and ready to play,” Tyrese Maxey said of Embiid. “You want him to be happy. As long as he’s happy, then I’m happy. That’s at the end of the day.
“Yes, basketball is our career, but life is life, you know what I’m saying? You only get one life. So you’ve got to live life to the fullest. And as long as people are happy, his family’s good, he’s good, and he can get on the basketball court as much as possible, I’m happy.”
But Embiid isn’t the only banged-up player on the Sixers’ roster.
Two other starters, Kelly Oubre Jr. (sprained left knee) and VJ Edgecombe (left calf tightness), and reserve center Adem Bona (sprained right ankle) will remain sidelined for Tuesday’s game. Paul George (sprained right ankle) and Maxey (sprained right shoulder) are listed as probable. However, Maxey downplayed his injury.
When asked about coping with the team’s injuries, Maxey said the Sixers have a good mentality about them this season.
“It’s just like whoever’s playing is playing, whoever is not is not,” he said, “and they’re going to cheer the teammates on.”
Sixers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. shooting over Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs on Oct. 27.
The standout point guard said he would love to have everyone available for all 82 regular-season games. Maxey knows that’s not possible.
“But you just have to have the next-man-up mentality,” he said, “and we move on from there.”
The Sixers (9-7) are focused on securing their first NBA Cup victory when they host the Magic.
They’re 0-2 in East Group B after a 114-105 loss to the Pistons on Nov. 14 at Little Caesars Arena. The Magic (10-8, 2-0) are tied with the Pistons for first place in the group.
The Sixers must find a way to contain Orlando forward Franz Wagner, who averages 23 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. The 6-10, 230-pounder has scored in double figures in every game this season. He scored at least 20 points on 13 occasions, including a season-high 37 points Saturday in a 133-121 victory over the New York Knicks.
Orlando All-Star forward Paolo Banchero will miss his seventh consecutive game with a left groin strain. Speaking to the Orlando Sentinel on Sunday, Banchero said he’s “pretty close” but could not pinpoint when he would return.
The Magic had their three-game winning streak snapped Sunday in a road loss to the Boston Celtics. Meanwhile, the Sixers are 5-7 after opening the season with four straight victories.
While the team has faded a little, Maxey has been one of the season’s elite players.
He scored a career-high 54 points to go with nine assists, five rebounds, three steals, and three blocks Thursday in a 123-114 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Maxey was second in the league in scoring before Monday’s games at 33.0 points per game, and seventh in assists at 7.8.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey shoots as Miami Heat guard Pelle Larsson defends him on Sunday.
“I just want us to win,” Maxey said when asked if winning MVP was a goal. “If we win, and that comes with it, I’m happy. But I don’t really care. Like last night, we lost [to the Heat]. When I play well, and we lose, it doesn’t make me happy at all.
“But when I play bad, and we win, I’m extremely happy because at the end of the day … the wins mean more to me. Right now, we have nine wins. That means the most to me. It’s to keep stacking days, keep winning, keep getting better every single day, and keep leading this team.”
The 76ers have a tough time matching up with towering, athletic post players.
Even in a loss, Justin Edwards is developing into a steady player who makes the right play.
Jared McCain is starting to regain the rhythm that made him a rookie-of-the-year front-runner last season before he suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Andre Drummond was the tallest available Sixer on Sunday at 6-foot-11. Dominick Barlow, who backed him up at center, stands 6-9. Meanwhile, starting forward Paul George and reserve forward Trendon Watford are both 6-8.
Miami started 7-foot Kel’el Ware at center and 6-9 Bam Adebayo at power forward. The duo took full advantage of their height advantage. Ware finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds. He had eight points and eight rebounds (six offensive) in the first quarter. Meanwhile, Adebayo, a three-time All-Star, had 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Drummond held his own, finishing with 14 points and a season-high 23 boards for his sixth double-double in seven games. But the Sixers were outrebounded, 58-46.
“The biggest challenge was, I think he really got going when we got into rotations for Drum being out,” coach Nick Nurse said of matching up with Ware. “His size was just a little too much for our other guys tonight with what we had out there.
“So then, we tried to do as much as we could, matching Drum with his minutes. But again, he was just a little too long and bouncy down there for us for most of the game.”
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo dunks on Dominick Barlow in the fourth quarter.
The Heat (11-6) took advantage of the Sixers (9-7) not having starting center Joel Embiid and reserve Adem Bona.
But this isn’t the first time they have had a tough time matching up against towering post players. They struggled trying to defend Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in a 132-121 road loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 5. Embiid missed that game. Bona played, but struggled mightily against the 6-11 big men.
On that night, the Sixers held a 43-34 rebounding advantage in a game that was basically over after three quarters. Allen had 24 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks in 29 minutes, 31 seconds. Mobley added 23 points, five rebounds, and three blocks in 34:02.
The Sixers need to find a way to erase their margin of error, regardless of who’s available to play.
“I think who is in and out of the lineup is out of our control. Let me start with that,” Drummond said. “And the guys who do play, we play to the best of our ability. We’re playing good teams. And you know it’s hard to find a rhythm when we are not knowing who we are playing with on a nightly basis. So still not an excuse. I think this game was very winnable for us.
“Just a few mistakes down the stretch of the game. It’s a good team we’re playing. It’s a great team. So we’ll get them next time.”
Drummond has a point: This was a winnable game. The Sixers battled back from a 16-point deficit, closing the gap to two points (105-103) on Trendon Watford’s layup with 8:28 remaining.
The Heat responded with a 13-2 run to put the game out of reach.
Tyrese Maxey had 27 points on 10-for-23 shooting along with six assists, two steals, and three turnovers before exiting the game with 1:29 left.
But the Sixers must do a better job of defending opposing bigs regardless of who’s on the floor. If not, they could be in trouble.
Edwards’ heady plays
Edwards made his third consecutive start at small forward in place of the injured Kelly Oubre Jr. (sprained left knee). The former Imhotep Charter standout is doing a solid job of filling in.
Edwards is starting to develop a knack for making the right play. He knows that his teammates, Maxey and George, are the go-to players. So he spaces the floor, hustles for loose balls, crashes the boards, and looks for his shot only when he is open.
Doing that, Edwards finished with seven points on 3-for-8 shooting to go with four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks against the Heat.
The second-year player out of Kentucky also did a solid job of getting Maxey the ball. One of his assists came on Maxey’s three-pointer right before the shot clock expired with1:22 remaining in the half. On the next possession, he assisted on McCain’s three-pointer.
“I’m just playing basketball, making the right play,” Edwards said. “That’s what I do. That’s my role. I’m not trying to play outside of my role. I’m just going to do whatever keeps me on the court. I’m not going to go out there, trying to play Tyrese Maxey’s role. That’s not my role.
“So I just make the right play. If I’m open, I’ll shoot it. If I drive and they [bring] help, whoever the next man is, I’ll pass it. It’s the right play, honestly.”
Sixers guard Jared McCain reacts after making a third quarter three-point basket.
McCain’s best game
McCain posted his best performance of the season with a season-high 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting — including making 3 of 4 three-pointers — in a season-high 25:43. The second-year guard had eight points in 13 minutes on Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks and five points in 14 minutes the night before vs. the Toronto Raptors.
McCain failed to score on a combined 0-for-9 shooting during his first four games of the season. The 6-3, 210-pounder is starting to show his scoring prowess as he gets reacclimated to playing basketball.
He made his season debut on Nov. 4 against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. McCain was rusty in his first game since suffering a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee on Dec. 13, 2024. He was supposed to return in time for training camp, but a torn ligament in his right thumb cost him the first six games of this season.
“It definitely felt the best,” McCain said of Sunday’s game. “I think each game is just getting more reps on the knee and more reps of movement. But I felt really good today.
“Felt like I got a little burst for my first step, and yeah, just continue to build off each game. And the more minutes I play and the more time I’m in, I feel like I can get more reps up. And yeah, it felt really good.”
Sixers coach Nick Nurse watches his team take on the Miami Heat.
Injuries have certainly hurt
Sunday was the Sixers’ 16th game of the season. By this time, teams should have a pretty good idea of their competitiveness.
But that hasn’t been the case for the Sixers because of injuries, preventing a full lineup. Embiid missed his seventh consecutive game because of knee injuries. He missed the last six games with right knee soreness. He also missed the Sixers’ Nov. 9 home loss to the Detroit Pistons for injury management on his left knee.
Meanwhile, Oubre and Bona (sprained right ankle) missed their fourth consecutive games. Sunday marked the first game that VJ Edgecombe sat out because of left calf tightness.
It also marked the third game that George (left knee injury recovery) has played in since being sidelined for the first 12. Two other Sixers — McCain and Watford (hamstring tightness) — were sidelined at the start of the season. And it was Barlow’s fifth game back after missing nine with a lacerated right elbow.
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe (center), who missed his first game of the season, watches his teammates take on the Miami Heat with forward Paul George (left) and guard Kyle Lowry.
As a result, the Sixers started Edwards, George, Drummond, Quentin Grimes, and Maxey against the Heat.
While the situation isn’t ideal, Nurse hasn’t been concerned by how the injuries have slowed the evaluation process. He actually sees it the other way.
“I think we are getting some really good evaluations on a lot of the younger guys that we maybe wouldn’t have gotten,” Nurse said. “But, you know, obviously, we barely integrated Paul and Joel. Paul’s [played around 65 minutes]. Joel’s played six games. Most of those were minutes restricted, right? I think we’re still trying to work Jared McCain back into it. He’s still minutes restricted. I think I’m not in a big hurry to evaluate and figure out who we are right now, just trying to play as hard as we can each night and keep kind of working these guys back in.”
MILWAUKEE — Tyrese Maxey recovered from a rough performance against the Toronto Raptors to kick the Milwaukee Bucks in the teeth.
Now, now. That wasn’t so hard, was it?
In turning a hostile Fiserv Forum into his personal playground, the 76ers star erased memories of fourth-quarter shortcomings to post a historic performance in a 123-114 overtime victory over the Bucks.
Maxey finished with a career-high 54 points along with nine assists, five rebounds, three steals, three blocks, and five turnovers in 46 minutes, 38 seconds.
He joins Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain (March 18, 1968) as the only two players in franchise history to produce at least 50 points and nine assists in a single game.
Against the Bucks, Maxey made 18 of 30 field goals and went 12-for-14 from the foul line. Sixteen of his points came in the fourth quarter on 5-for-7 shooting. He added six points in overtime one night after failing to score any fourth-quarter points in a 121-112 home loss to the Raptors.
Maxey finished that contest with game highs of 24 points and nine assists. He made 8 of 14 shots, but only attempted one — a missed three-pointer — in the fourth quarter.
“Certainly a big difference,” coach Nick Nurse said. “And again, it’s a variety. I keep thinking, it’s obviously a great amount of threes [six] because he’s such a good shooter. [He had] a few drives all the way, a few floaters, playing on top, playing along the baseline, you know, just moving him around and trying not to make it too predictable.”
Tyrese Maxey scores one of his seven left-handed layups against the Milwaukee Bucks.
One thing that no one could have predicted was Maxey making a career-high seven layups with his left hand. It was the most made layups by an NBA player with their nonshooting hand in a game this season.
But on second thought, maybe folks shouldn’t be surprised.
“I work hard, and I don’t shoot shots that I don’t work on, if that makes sense,” Maxey said. “I don’t just try stuff. Every shot that I shoot is a shot that I worked on before. So I have confidence in it.”
He and the Sixers (9-6) know it’s just a matter of remaining aggressive.
The sixth-year player was second in the league in scoring at 33.4 points per game entering Friday’s matchups. He also led the league in made three-pointers (61) and was seventh in assists (7.9). In addition, he was fourth in the NBA in fourth-quarter points (8.9) for players who’ve played at least four games. Maxey also averaged 5.8 shot attempts in the quarter. So to attempt just one against the Raptors is out of character.
And his 14 total field goals were well below his average of 23.4 per game.
“Joel [Embiid] definitely got on me as soon as I got in the locker room,” Maxey said. “He pulled out the stat sheet, showed me the 14 shots, and said, ‘This ain’t going to cut it.’ And Joel is normally right.”
So Maxey responded by tying Hall of Famer Allen Iverson for the ninth-most points in a game in franchise history. Iverson scored 54 points twice as a Sixer.
“He’s special. He’s special,” Paul George said of Maxey. ”Man, he’s gifted. I think what you guys don’t see and what stands out is after the game on a back-to-back, 50 [points], 45-plus minutes, he goes and lifts.”
George thinks that speaks volumes to who Maxey is and where he is in his career. George, a nine-time All-Star, has played alongside Hall of Famers, future Hall of Famers, and borderline Hall of Famers.
“And that’s what they do,” George said. “They do the stuff like that that keeps them going, keeping them strong, and always working on themselves. Therefore, you always see his production on the floor. He puts the work in. And you know, it’s special. He’s a talent.”
Sixers Tyrese Maxey (0) looks for a shot against Milwaukee Bucks guard AJ Green (20) in the first overtime at Fiserv Forum.
And George realized that even before signing with the Sixers on July 6, 2024.
He saw how Maxey excelled while playing alongside former Sixer James Harden. Then he watched how the guard had more added to his plate after Harden was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2023-24 season. Maxey responded by becoming an All-Star and the league’s Most Improved Player that season.
“I noticed it early on,” George said. “Just watching him, man, he’s got better. I think it’s his mindset. It’s his mentality. And like I said, he works on his game tirelessly. So all of that adds up, and he’s just a great leader. He’s young, but he’s a great leader. And he’s the total package.”
Sixers announcer Alaa Abdelnaby had high hopes this Sixers team would erase the memory of disappointment from last season. So far, he’s gotten his wish.
Coming off a thrilling overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, the Sixers seem rejuvenated this season behind young talents Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe. Though things have slowed following their red-hot 4-0 start, newfound interest in the Sixers is showing up in the team’s TV ratings.
Through nine games, Sixers games on NBC Sports Philadelphia and NBC Sports Philadelphia+ are up 73% compared with the same point last season, according to Nielsen numbers obtained by The Inquirer. That works out to an average of about 138,000 viewers tuning into each game.
As a result, Philadelphia has the fourth-strongest growth in NBA TV ratings this season, trailing behind only Portland, Chicago, and Denver.
Not surprisingly, the most-watched Sixers game this season was last week’s win against the Boston Celtics, which, along with Denver Nuggets vs. Sacramento Kings on the West Coast, averaged 2.9 million viewers across NBC and Peacock.
A large reason behind the surge of interest is Maxey’s MVP-caliber performance. In his sixth season in the league, Maxey is averaging 33.4 points, up big from the 26.3 per game he put up last season.
Edgecombe, the Sixers’ energetic rookie, has dropped back down to Earth a bit after his 34-point debut against the Celtics. Still, Edgecombe is averaging 15.6 points and six rebounds and has been a workhorse for the Sixers, averaging 37.4 minutes per game, the second-most in the NBA behind Maxey.
NBC Sports Philadelphia’s pre- and postgame coverage, featuring Amy Fadool, Marc Jackson, and Jim Lynam, has also benefited from the increased interest in the Sixers. Viewership for Sixers Pregame Live is up 150% compared to last season’s average, while Sixers Postgame Live is up more than 60%.
Podcasts are also enjoying a bump. The Rights to Ricky Sanchez, the popular Sixers podcast co-hosted by 94.1 WIP’s Spike Eskin and Mike Levin, tends to have a loyal audience that doesn’t surge or sink too much. But Eskin said the podcast has seen a “pretty good jump,” especially during the Sixers’ hot start.
“The Ricky listeners are die-hards so they’re always there,” Eskin said, “but the hot start certainly gave the pod a lift as the people who checked out of the team last year seemed excited to get back in.”
Sixers NBA standings
Eastern Conference
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Sixers news
Sixers center Joel Embiid hasn’t been on the court much so far this season.
Maxey showed why he’s a legitimate candidate for MVP, scoring a career-high 54 points on 18-for-30 shooting to go with nine assists, five rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. His 54 points tied Hall of Famer Allen Iverson for the ninth-most points scored in a regular-season game in team history. Iverson did it twice, in December 2004 and January 2001.
Maxey joins Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain (March 18, 1968) as the only two players in franchise history to produce at least 50 points and nine assists in a single game.
“Great. We won. That’s what matters most,” Maxey said of tying Chamberlain.
But how does he feel about being in that company?
“Blessed,” Maxey said. “I thank God for it. Anytime you are in a conversation with Wilt, who scored 100 points, you can’t complain.”
Maxey didn’t have a repeat of Wednesday night when he attempted one fourth-quarter shot attempt — a miss — in a 121-112 loss to the Toronto Raptors. On Wednesday, he passed out of double teams and made what would typically be the correct play in the fourth quarter. In the game, Maxey attempted only 14 shots, which is 9.4 shots below his average of 23.4.
However, the Sixers aren’t good enough for him to serve as a decoy or a secondary player at this moment.
Against the Bucks, with the Sixers down 85-82 with 10 minutes, 10 seconds remaining, Maxey came up with three clutch plays in a short span.
He drained a 20-foot jumper to pull the Sixers within one point. After grabbing the defensive rebound on the ensuing possession, Maxey drained a three-pointer to put the Sixers up, 87-85, with 9:26 to play.
He scored 22 in the fourth quarter and overtime session on 6-for-9 shooting. He made four clutch foul shots in overtime.
The Sixers need Maxey to remain aggressive throughout games to win.
Coach Nick Nurse said after Wednesday’s loss that Maxey needed to shoot the ball more.
“It was a different game last night,” Maxey said of Wednesday. “I definitely was not as aggressive as I should have been. I got hit in the head, and I also got hit in the quad. So it was a little tough for me. Kind of like pop up and get the ball and be extremely aggressive, as I probably need to be. And we were making some shots. I made some plays and got guys open. So I was trying to feel the game out.
“But [Nurse is] definitely right. I got to be aggressive. Joel [Embiid] definitely got on me as soon as I got in the locker room. He pulled out the stat sheet, showed me the 14 shots, and said, ‘This ain’t going to cut it.’ And Joel is normally right.”
The Sixers’ Paul George played a major role on both sides of the ball.
George’s presence
George’s presence has been noticeable in the two games he’s played in this season. The 35-year-old, who made his season debut on Monday, provided early offense and made a defensive impact in Monday’s victory over the Los Angeles Clippers and in Thursday’s win against the Bucks.
He finished with 21 points, five rebounds, and two steals while playing 24 minutes, 42 seconds against Milwaukee. This comes after George had nine points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks vs. the Clippers.
George had an excellent start for the second consecutive game.
After scoring the game’s first five points in Monday’s debut, he scored the Sixers’ first 11 points while making his first four shots.
He scored the game’s first basket by driving through the lane and muscling his way to a basket. Then he added three-pointers on the Sixers’ next three possessions.
“That was kind of the mindset,” George said of attacking Thursday’s game from the start after sitting out Wednesday’s loss. “I know these guys played last night.. So I’m fresh. I tried to come in, get the boost, just morale on both ends. I tried to impose my will on the defense, and then come out with a burst offensively.”
The Sixers’ following points came when he assisted on an alley-oop dunk by VJ Edgecombe to make the Sixers’ lead 13-4 with 7:11 left in the quarter. George came out with 6:16 left in the quarter before returning at the start of the second.
While he missed his lone shot and committed a turnover, George made a pair of foul shots and had an assist to go with a steal in his short stint.
George did a solid job running the Sixers’ offense in the half-court and provided solid defense. One of his highlights was stealing the ball on Kyle Kuzma’s layup attempt at the 8:30 mark of the third quarter.
“Listen, whatever it is, to make the game easy for No. 0,” George said of running the offense. “I’ve been saying he’s been doing a lot for us. He might not want to say it, but I know he’s tired. He’s got to be tired. So, you know, I’m just trying to make the game easy for him within the offense, play my game.
“But also, you know, I do feel like I can see plays ahead and kind of see where guys should be and balancing the floor and just trying to give us the best possibility of getting a good shot each possession.”
If there was a negative to his performance, it was that he appeared to run out of gas. He missed five of his next six shots after starting the game 4-for-4. He even missed a third-quarter layup.
Edwards’ defense
With Kelly Oubre Jr. out (sprained left knee), Edwards made his second consecutive start at small forward. There was no drop-off defensively with him in the lineup. While Maxey and George provided the offensive scoring, the former Imhotep Charter standout provided stiff defense. Edwards finished with a season-high two steals, both coming in the opening quarter. The most he had in a game before Thursday was one. And he did that three times in his first 12 games.
“I take pride in it,” Edwards said of his defense. “You know that’s what the coaches expect from me every game. So, you know, I go out there and try to guard everybody’s best ballhandler and put them to the test, honestly.”
While he struggled shooting (seven points, 3-for-10 shooting), Edwards kept making the right plays on the offensive end. On one occasion, he drove the lane and wrapped a pass around a defender and into the arms of Andre Drummond, who scored an easy layup. Edwards had three assists and four rebounds.
But Edwards made two huge baskets in overtime. He opened the extra session with a three-pointer to give the Sixers a 109-106 advantage. Then, with 2:23 left, his 14-foot pull-up jumper gave them a five-point cushion.
He mentioned what the three-pointer meant to him after struggling from the field most of the game.
“It doesn’t bother me,” he said. “But it does bother me. I ain’t even going to lie. I was about to try to do my media-training stuff, but it does bother me. I just got to have short-term memory, because I feel like I’ve made a lot of growth. Last year, maybe college, I probably would not have shot that. I probably would have driven it. But that just shows the confidence in myself. I put the work in. I shot that shot a million times.”
Sixers forward Justin Edwards was one of the players charged with guarding breakout star Ryan Rollins.
Battered teams
The Sixers were without Embiid (right knee injury management), Oubre, and Adem Bona (sprained right ankle). Maxey (right quadriceps contusion) was cleared to play right before the game.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (left adductor strain) could be out for up to two weeks. The Bucks were also missing Taurean Prince (neck surgery) and Kevin Porter Jr. (right knee meniscus surgery).
But long injury lists aren’t isolated only to the Sixers and Bucks. Injuries have been up around the league this season.
Sacramento Kings standout center Domantas Sabonis (partially torn meniscus in left knee) will miss three to four weeks. Los Angeles Clippers guard Bradley Beal (fractured hip) is expected to have season-ending surgery. And the Dallas Mavericks’ Anthony Davis, Portland Trail Blazers’ Jrue Holiday, San Antonio Spurs’ Dylan Harper, and Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant and Ty Jerome are out with calf strains.
“Anybody can speculate about what they think it is, right?” Nurse said. “I think nutrition plays a big part of it. I think that the preseason plays a part of it, too. I think we are not getting a lot of gamelike reps [in the preseason], and then all of a sudden we’re going 100 miles an hour [in the regular season.]
“And like I said … on our way over here, this is our third road back-to-back, and it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet. The games early in the season have been coming out of the chute. It’s a heavy, heavy load.”
It was the Sixers’ fourth back-to-back overall through their 17 games. And the Sixers have been dealing with injuries all season, as George (left knee injury management), Jared McCain (right thumb surgery), and Trendon Watford (hamstring) have also missed time.
MILWAUKEE — Joel Embiid will miss his sixth consecutive game when the 76ers face the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night at Fiserv Forum.
Meanwhile, Tyrese Maxey is listed as probable with a right quadriceps contusion. But Paul George will return after missing Wednesday’s 121-112 loss to the Toronto Raptors.
Thursday’s contest will mark the fifth straight game Embiid has missed with right knee injury management. He also missed the Sixers’ 111-108 home loss to the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 9 because he doesn’t play on back-to-back nights to rest his left knee.
Embiid, who has no structural damage to his right knee, has been listed as day-to-day. The 7-foot-2, 280-pounder has already missed eight of the Sixers’ 14 games because of his knee ailments. He is averaging 19.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 23.3 minutes.
Tyrese Maxey scored 24 points in the Sixers’ loss to the Raptors on Wednesday.
Maxey is dealing with a quad injury after finishing with 24 points, nine assists, and three steals in Wednesday’s loss. George had the night off due to not playing in back-to-backs. The forward (left knee injury management) made his season debut in Monday’s 110-108 home victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Adem Bona (sprained right ankle), Kelly Oubre Jr. (sprained left knee), and Hunter Silas (G League two-way assignment) will also miss Thursday’s game.
The Bucks will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo (left adductor strain), Kevin Porter Jr. (meniscus surgery in right knee), Taurean Prince (neck surgery), and Alex Antetokounmpo (G League two-way assignment). Gary Harris (illness) is listed as questionable.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse acknowledged before Monday’s game that the minutes for Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are piling up, and they are expected to carry the scoring load.
Nurse thinks things may settle down for the duo when George gets up to speed, as they do when Joel Embiid is playing.
The coach actually spoke to both of them on Sunday. He asked them four questions: Are you OK? Are you playing too many minutes? You sure? Are you looking for some help?
Maxey and Edgecombe responded “yes” to the first question and “no” to the other three.
“I said, ‘Because we don’t know when it’s going to come,” Nurse said. “’Get ready to go out there and do whatever is necessary.’
“And they’re both on board. I said, ‘Whenever these guys come back to help, we’re going to welcome them with open arms. But until that point, let’s stay focused on doing what needs to be done.”
On Monday, the Sixers (8-5) needed Maxey to take over while playing the entire second half.
That’s when he scored 27 of his game-high 39 points. It was the fifth time this season that the sixth-year guard scored at least 35 points. He also finished with three rebounds, six assists, one steal, and four turnovers while logging a game-high 40 minutes, 57 seconds.
Maxey scored 13 points in the third quarter before tallying 14 in the final quarter. But he must do a better job handling the ball in clutch situations. All four of his turnovers came after the intermission.
There’s no denying that he’s having a special season, though.
Maxey’s 39 points were the most by an NBA player on Monday night.
He ranks second in the league in scoring at 32.5 points per game, fourth in made three-pointers (50), and first in minutes (40.4).
What is Nurse looking at in the big picture with the kind of season Maxey is putting together?
“I don’t know if I think about that at this particular time,” Nurse said. “I think that you know what I talked about before … that was pretty evident tonight. You’ve got to go, and the minutes are going to be 40. And you are going to have to carry a bunch of the load. And you are going to have to figure it out.”
Sixers forward Paul George (center) scored nine points in his season debut.
PG’s debut
George hadn’t played in a game since March 4. Yet he’s been a full participant at practice since Oct. 19. As a result, it was hard to predict how the 35-year-old would perform against the Clippers (4-10).
He moved well. He got his shots. He bulked up. And, as expected, he was rusty.
George finished with nine points on 2-for-9 shooting along with seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 21:06 of playing time. He also made 4 of 7 free throws.
“It felt great to finally play basketball again,” he said. “It’s been like eight months since I played. So it was a long journey, a lot of ups and downs, a lot of hiccups. But it felt good to finally get out there. I felt good. Just rusty, but I felt good.”
He played in only 41 games last season — his first as a Sixer — while hampered by various injuries. George was ruled out for the remainder of that season on March 17, the day he received injections in the left adductor muscle in his groin and left knee.
He was expected to return in time for training camp. However, the nine-time All-Star had arthroscopic left knee surgery in July, which caused him to miss additional time.
On Monday, George scored a three-pointer on his first shot attempt 34 seconds into the game. On the next possession, the 6-foot-8, 220-pounder was fouled while attempting a three. He made two of three foul shots to give the Sixers a 5-0 advantage.
Paul George played 21 minutes in his season debut for the Sixers.
George missed his subsequent five attempts before turning the ball over and later scoring on a three-foot driving floater.
He missed three shot attempts after intermission. But George stepped up his game in other areas in the second half with three rebounds and a block.
Defensively, he looked comfortable and appeared to have lateral quickness.
“Yeah, it was definitely a trusting — it was definitely a trust factor,“ George said. ”When I first went out there to see what all I could do, and right away, ‘I’m ready for this.’ You know, ‘I can move, I can react, I can play physical, I can beat the guy to a spot. I can rebound.’ So that was, I think, a huge checklist for me personally, that I was able to slide my feet, stay in front of guys, and just fly around. Be reactive.”
It’s too early to know if he can be the dominant wing of the past. However, his basketball IQ, defense, rebounding, and leadership could help the Sixers once he gets in basketball shape.
Drummond’s play
Drummond is the Sixers’ lone healthy center.
Embiid missed his fourth consecutive game on Monday. It will be the third game he has missed due to right knee injury management. The 2023 MVP also sat out the Nov. 8 home loss to the Detroit Pistons to rest his surgically repaired left knee.
Sixers center Andre Drummond had 14 points and 18 rebounds against the Clippers.
And reserve center Adem Bona missed the first of at least three games with a sprained right ankle.
The 6-11, 279-pound Drummond held his own against Clippers center Ivica Zubac with 14 points and a game-high 18 rebounds for his fourth consecutive double-double and fifth of the season.
Zubac, who had 14 points and 13 rebounds, was outplayed by Drummond in the fourth quarter. That’s when the Sixer tallied seven points and five rebounds.
Drummond even made a pair of clutch foul shots to give the Sixers a 110-106 cushion with 1:08 remaining. Then he grabbed his 18th rebound on the ensuing possession.
Controversial ending
The Sixers will tell you a win is a win. And they probably couldn’t care less if people speak negatively about the controversial ones.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey and Trendon Watford celebrate their 110-108 victory over the Clippers on Monday.
And that’s what they escaped with against the Clippers.
With the Clippers down two points, video footage showed James Harden being fouled on a three-point attempt by Quentin Grimes with 6.3 seconds remaining. Crew chief Curtis Blair was asked after the game why the foul wasn’t called on the play.
“During live play, it was deemed that Grimes legally contested Harden’s three-point shot,” Blair said.
Based on the wording “during live play,” one has to believe there’s a great chance we’ll see a different answer Tuesday on the L2M report.
But the Sixers still celebrated this victory. Maxey and Trendon Watford even sprinted down the court after time expired on the final possession.
Jared McCain, who is recovering from right thumb surgery, has been out of his split for two days. But the 76ers guard put on a solid shoot display following Monday’s shootaround, and looked like someone who could make a solid impact upon his return.
“That’s the progress,” coach Nick Nurse said before Monday night’s game against the Orlando Magic at Xfinity Mobile Arena. “He’s going to have to go through a series of days of contact and all that stuff, too.”
The second-year player was cleared to switch from his initial split to a smaller one and partake in drills after being reevaluated a couple of days ago. As was the case prior to injury, he shot the ball at a high percentage during the workout.
He began his session by shooting three-pointers with VJ Edgecombe and Eric Gordon. After Edgecombe and Gordon cleared the court, McCain participated in solo drills, attempting more threes and concluding with foul shots.
“Inserting him in with the VJ, Tyrese [Maxey] and [Quentin Grimes guard] group is the plan,” Nurse said of how he wants to use McCain. “That was sort of the plan going into the season. Again, I think they all can do a variety of things, and give us a chance to have some more depth. Gives us a chance to, again, play some shorter stints so the energy can stay high and all those things.
“We need him back. We look forward to having him back.”
McCain suffered the injury while working out on Sept. 25, the day before the unofficial start of his second season. He underwent surgery on Sept. 30 at the Hospital for Special Surgery.
McCain had previously been cleared as a full training-camp participant after missing the final 4½ months of last season with a torn meniscus in his left knee. He suffered that injury on Dec. 13 during a home loss to the Indiana Pacers.
McCain, now 21, was a revelation for the Sixers last season and would have been a major contributor for a struggling team if he had remained healthy.
Despite playing in just 23 games, he finished tied for seventh in the NBA’s rookie of the year voting. McCain was awarded a third-place vote from the media panel of 100 voters. Before the injury, he was the favorite to win the award.
McCain averaged 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. He also shot 46% from the field — including 38.3% from three. The California native joined Hall of Famer Allen Iverson as the only Sixers rookies to average at least 15 points and two made three-pointers.
He made three or more three-pointers in eight consecutive games from Nov. 8-22 to set an NBA rookie record.
Sixers guard Jared McCain gets up shots with VJ Edgecombe and Eric Gordon after Monday’s shootaround: pic.twitter.com/J9sst9RDVo
McCain was named the Eastern Conference rookie of the month for games played in October and November last season.
Joel Embiid sidelined
It wasn’t surprising that Joel Embiid missed Monday’s game.
The 2023 MVP and seven-time All-Star won’t play on both nights of back-to-backs, and the Sixers will face the Washington Wizards at the Capital One Arena on Tuesday.
Embiid playing “is always going to be our best version of our basketball team,” Nurse said. “He’s still obviously working his way back into being the guy that can play. I don’t know if we’re ever going to get to 48 minutes, but working his way up the ladder a little bit.
“I think we know the situation like we’re in with back-to-backs that he’d be missing one of the two games, and we got to go play, knowing that is probably better than finding out another way.”
Barlow’s procedure
Nurse said Dominick Barlow was undergoing a procedure on Monday to address a right elbow laceration while his teammates were facing the Magic. The power forward will also sit out Tuesday’s contest.
Barlow averaged 7.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists as the starting power forward in the first two games.
“It was kind of a nice fit,” Nurse said of Barlow being in the starting lineup. “He was guarding tough. He was rebounding tough. He was offensive rebounding really well. We just got to move on. And again, it affects your depth.”
Joel Embiid will miss the 76ers’ Monday night game against the Orlando Magic at Xfinity Mobile Arena due to left knee injury management.
Meanwhile, Sixers forward Dominick Barlow will also miss the Magic game and Tuesday’s contest at the Washington Wizards while undergoing a procedure on Monday to address a right elbow laceration. He will be re-evaluated later on this week.
Embiid played in the first two games of the season and the exhibition finale. Those matchups were Embiid’s first games since facing the Brooklyn Nets in a 105-103 regular-season home loss on Feb. 22.
Meanwhile, Barlow suffered the laceration in the first half of Saturday’s 125-121 home-opening victory over the Charlotte Hornets and didn’t return after intermission.
Sixers forward Dominick Barlow will miss the next two games while undergoing to procedure after suffering a right elbow laceration.
Paul George (left knee surgery recovery), Trendon Watford (left hamstring tightness), and Jared McCain (right thumb surgery) will remain sidelined.
Embiid’s game of rest comes after he finished with 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including making 3 of 6 three-pointers, to go with two rebounds, four assists, and two steals against the Hornets. He logged just 20 minutes, 7 seconds while on a minute restriction.
