Three observations after Sixers were blown away by NBA-leading Cavs originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers couldn’t pull off an upset victory over the NBA-leading Cavs on Saturday night.
Cleveland won very comfortably at home, improving to 25-4 with a 126-99 decision. The Sixers fell to 9-17.
Tyrese Maxey scored a team-high 27 points. Paul George had 11 points and shot 4 for 12 from the field.
The Cavs got 26 points from Darius Garland. Evan Mobley scored 22 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.
The Sixers were without Jared McCain (left lateral meniscus surgery) and Joel Embiid, who rested the night after a 34-point, nine-assist performance in the Sixers’ win over the Hornets. Cleveland’s Isaac Okoro (AC joint sprain, right shoulder) and Max Strus (right ankle injury treatment) were sidelined.
Here are observations about the Sixers’ loss Saturday in Cleveland:
Offense a slog for Sixers
For the second night in a row, Maxey was ready to go as soon as the game started.
After scoring 15 points in the first quarter on Friday, he put the Sixers’ first eight in Cleveland with a pair of pull-up 3-pointers and a driving layup. In addition to taking advantage of opportunities to attack before the Cavs’ defense was fully set, Maxey drove and kicked the ball to Kelly Oubre Jr. for a triple that gave the Sixers a 15-5 lead.
After a 2-for-12 performance against Charlotte, George missed his first two jumpers. Maxey then did a good job calling on George to set a ball screen for him. That set up George’s desired transition versus the 6-foot-2 Garland, and the nine-time All-Star scored twice over him.
George could not maintain his success and Maxey cooled down. The Sixers expectedly had a hard time finding quality looks against a very good opponent with adequate rim protection. Especially without Embiid’s isolation scoring ability, the Sixers needed a big night with few mistakes.
As a team, the Sixers recorded a season-low 13 assists on their 34 made field goals.
Other than buzzer-beater, no magic from the bench
Caleb Martin returned to the Sixers bench Saturday, returning from a right shoulder injury and playing his first game since Dec. 8.
The highlight of Martin’s first stint was a slippery ride and a tricky scoop lay-up. Martin ultimately logged 29 minutes and scored eight points on 3-for-10 shooting, three rebounds and three assists.
The Cavs took the lead late in the first quarter. Donovan Mitchell threw a fast break and one dunk. A few plays later, Cleveland turned a George giveaway into a Caris LeVert slam. The Sixers dented their hopes of a win against expectations with ten goals in the first half.
In addition to Martin, the Sixers used Guerschon Yabusele, Ricky Council IV, Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon off the bench in the first half. Council made the hardest shot of the night, improbably swishing a jumper from about 40 feet away just before the halftime buzzer.
Although several Sixers came off the bench decently, no one besides Maxey provided the necessary additional scoring. Oubre went 3 for 11 from the floor and his streak of consecutive double-digit scoring nights ended in 11 games.
Cavs are true to form
Oddly enough, Martin was on the floor instead of Maxey to start the third period. Maxey quickly reached the scorer’s table and checked in after 24 seconds.
The Cavs quickly extended their lead to 20 points, but Maxey and the Sixers pushed back. A Maxey three cut Cleveland’s lead to 81-73. He went 5 for 10 from long range and made at least three triples for his fifth straight game. Over that stretch, he averaged 27.4 points and hit 42 percent of his threes.
Unfortunately for the Sixers, the NBA’s best three-point team didn’t have an unusual night.
Cleveland shot 51.2 percent from long range. Garland has drained 6 of 7 threes.
With the Sixers facing a significant deficit, rookie center Adem Bona filled in for Yabusele late in the third quarter and Jeff Dowtin Jr. opened the game. the fourth. Waste time was plentiful.
The Sixers will try to get back on track Monday night in Philadelphia – likely with Embiid against 7-foot-3 Spurs sensation Victor Wembanyama. Embiid scored a Sixers-record 70 points the last time he faced San Antonio.
