3 observations after Sixers fall to Grizzlies, stay winless at home with West Coast trip on deck originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers did not discover any magic during the last two days to make up for the absence of two All-Stars.
They dipped to 1-4 on the season and 0-3 at home Saturday night with a 124-107 loss to the Grizzlies.
Tyrese Maxey posted 23 points on 8-for-19 shooting and six assists.
Star Grizzlies guard Ja Morant had 18 points, 12 assists and six rebounds. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 27 points and Jay Huff added 20 for the Grizzlies, who improved to 4-3.
The Sixers were still without Joel Embiid (left knee injury management) and Paul George (left knee bone bruise).
Both players were full participants in the Sixers’ practice on Friday. George ran sprints and went through individual training on Saturday mornings after shooting.
Memphis had several key players out with injuries, including Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart.
The Sixers will begin a three-game West Coast road trip on Monday night against the Suns. Here are observations about their loss to Memphis:
It’s getting hot behind the arc
The Sixers entered the night shooting 27.7 percent from three-point range and did not start the game auspiciously on that front.
Andre Drummond missed a corner three on the team’s first possession as the shot clock expired. The Sixers started 0 for 6 from the floor and fell behind 5-0 on the three of rookie Jaylen Wells.
A trio of Kelly Oubre Jr. jumpers in the first quarter went in for the Sixers. Maxey also knocked down some early threes and the Sexters ended up scoring 18 of their 28 first-quarter points from long range.
Eric Gordon came out hot in the second quarter, swinging consecutive long threes from the right wing. He posted 10 points in the first half on 4-for-5 shooting.
For the night, the Sixers easily surpassed their previous season high of 11 made threes in a game, shooting 19 for 46 (41.3 percent) from deep. They clearly must continue to trend upward from a long distance when shorted.
The Grizzlies’ greatness carries over to the Sixers
The Sixers’ early defensive work on Morant was encouraging.
Caleb Martin played solid individual defense and the Sixers were a little better in transition than during theirs loss Wednesday to the Pistons. They limited live ball turnovers and sprinted back well as a unit, giving Memphis few rushing opportunities.
Outside of the 6-foot-2 Morant, the Grizzlies had height advantages at nearly every position. The Sixers tried to compensate with defensive variety, including some zone early in the second quarter. KJ Martin helped the cause by blocking three shots in the second, including a seriously explosive layup on the 7-foot-1 Huff.
Morant provided tough shooting during a second-quarter Sixers cold streak, hitting a mid-range baseline jumper and hoisting an and-one layup over 7-foot-4 rookie Zach Edey.
However, Memphis eventually surged ahead. Morant began cutting into the paint with greater regularity and the Grizzlies took control of the game with a 12-0 run. They took a 59-52 lead on Edey’s layup with 0.2 seconds left in the second period.
McCain bright spot in explosion
Memphis was the sharper team out of the second-half gates.
The Sixers’ half-court offense was both industrious and sloppy. They made some expensive giveaways and didn’t generate much drive-and-kick success. Across the board, the Sixers were understandably reluctant to test players like Jackson and Edey inside. Through three quarters, the team had only 18 points in the paint.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse inserted Reggie Jackson in the third quarter as his team’s fifth man off the bench. Seconds after Jackson drained a top-of-the-key three, Jake LaRavia answered with a jumper from an almost identical point on the other end. Huff continued to make comfortable threes and the Sixers’ deficit grew to more than 20 points.
Jared McCain’s relentless approach has been a bright spot for the Sixers. He attacked consistently in the fourth quarter and scored impressively, converting two three-pointers, a floater and a driving layup. The Sixers cut Memphis’ lead down to 14 points in the middle of the fourth, although the Grizzlies never appeared in any real trouble.
McCain piled up 19 points on 8-for-16 shooting in his 17 minutes.
“I think McCain has shown nothing but confidence,” Nurse said Friday. “Not always the greatest play in the world, but he makes things happen, doesn’t he? He makes something happen … not always good, sometimes it’s bad, but he plays with an air of confidence and an air of getting it to the edge a little. I think he’s still in our plans (when at full strength).”
