3 observations after Sixers struggle in opener, lose to Bucks without Embiid and George originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
No trio of stars, no opening night win at Wells Fargo Center for the 2024-25 Sixers.
Down both Joel Embiid (left knee injury management) and Paul George (left knee bone spur)the Sixers dropped their first game of the season on Wednesday, falling to a 124-109 loss to the Bucks.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. Damian Lillard posted 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 25 points. He went just 10 for 31 from the field. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 21 points.
Here are observations on the Sixers’ loss to the Bucks:
Improvisational lines for the opener
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse’s opening night starting five was Maxey, Eric Gordon, Oubre, KJ Martin and Andre Drummond.
Nurse liked Caleb Martin’s energy off the bench during the pre-season and stuck with him as an integral sub in the opener, playing the 29-year-old forward 37 minutes. To start the second half, Nurse had Caleb Martin (12 points, nine rebounds) replace KJ Martin in the Sixers’ lineup.
Maxey scored the Sixers’ first ring of the season on a step-back three-pointer late in the shot clock. He missed several close looks in the first quarter and started 2 for 10 from the floor, though he finished the first sweetly with a delicious buzzer-beating layup.
Despite their offensive struggles, the Sixers still managed to build a modest early lead. There wasn’t much to like about the Sixers’ offense in the first quarter — little fluidity, not much of the brisk, purposeful pace that Nurse emphasized in the preseason — but their role players generally did a decent job.
The Sixers played solid team defense, committed no turnovers in the first period, and started strong on the offensive glass. Drummond and KJ Martin chipped in put deposits. Caleb Martin swung to grab an offensive board shortly after replacing KJ Martin, who unsurprisingly picked up two fouls in his first five minutes guarding Antetokounmpo.
A ton on Maxey’s shoulders
Maxey started off bright in the second quarter, hitting a floater and a baseline mid-range jumper.
However, he was continually frustrated by the lack of foul calls on his drives. Last season’s Most Improved Player made 18 field goals before making a free throw.
Kyle Lowry (13 points, six assists) was the Sixers’ only second-unit guard on Wednesday. Caleb Martin and Guerschon Yabusele were the only two other bench players Nurse used until Ricky Council IV entered in the third quarter with the Sixers trailing by 18 points. Jared McCain made his NBA debut with the game out of reach late in the fourth and got two buckets with a mid-range jumper and a layup. Adem Bona also converted a debut goal.
Yabusele drained a corner three on his first shot as a Sixer.
When Drummond went under and Yabusele slid up to center, rim protection and defensive rebounding grew considerably more difficult for the Sixers. The 6-foot-8 Yabusele is physically strong, but he is not a true full-back.
The Sixers’ short rotation meant they needed quality minutes from all of their starters. Oubre didn’t provide that during a rough stretch in the middle of the second quarter. Bobby Portis stole his informal dribble pass attempt and went in for a layup. Back-to-back Taurean Prince threes extended Milwaukee’s lead to 51-39.
As a team, the Sixers missed 18 of their first 21 three-point attempts. With Maxey well below his standard in terms of performance and no other stars available, the Sixers definitely needed better results in that department.
No good answers for the Bucks’ star power
Several Sixers accumulated fouls quickly in their efforts to contain Antetokounmpo. Drummond and Yabusele were both whistled for their fifth foul early in the fourth quarter. Yabusele finally screwed up.
While the Sixers have been effective at times when doubling Antetokounmpo out of the post or blocking his drives with multiple bodies, he is extremely difficult for any individual defender to handle. And the Bucks didn’t even need to lean on Antetokounmpo much as their lead swelled in the third quarter. Milwaukee’s drive and kick game started to cook. So did Lillard, who canned four three-pointers in the third.
The Sixers looked deflated and their level of play dipped on both ends – rushed half-court possessions with minimal ball movement, obvious defensive breakdowns, etc.
To their credit, the Sixers rallied early in the fourth quarter. They rushed on defense, forced turnovers, scored in transition and cut the Bucks’ advantage to 107-95. Milwaukee soon restored a comfortable lead, however.
Three stars sounds like a luxury on paper, but the Sixers will still need to get wins this season when Embiid and George are on the sidelines. They’ll give it a second shot Friday night in Toronto against the Raptors.
