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Three observations after George leaves with left knee injury, Sixers suffer another demoralizing loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers have not yet reached a turning point.
They suffered another disheartening loss on Wednesday night, falling 117-111 to the Grizzlies, and will return home after an 0-3 road trip with a dismal 2-12 overall this season.
A Monday night team meeting in Miami did not inspire a victory over the short-handed Grizzlies, whose injury list injured Ja Morant, Marcus Smart and Zach Edey. Memphis moved to 9-7.
Paul George left the game in the third quarter with a hyperextension of his left knee (more on this below).
Kyle Lowry opened the night on the sidelines due to a right hip strain. Tyrese Maxey returned from a right hamstring injury. He played 20 minutes in his first action since Nov. 6 and scored eight points on 3-of-13 shooting.
Joel Embiid scored 35 points and 11 rebounds. Jaren Jackson Jr. (25 points) and Desmond Bane (21) were the Grizzlies’ top scorers.
The Sixers will begin a three-game homestand Friday night against the Nets and continue a season that quickly descended into a very, very dark place.
Here are observations on their loss to Memphis:
Much improved Embiid
The first minutes were not encouraging for Embiid.
They took the ball away on a drive about 30 seconds into the night. Shortly after that, Memphis double-teamed Embiid and he searched in vain for open teammates before launching a long, aerial hook shot as 24 seconds expired. He clapped his hands in frustration.
Embiid followed an extremely rare night of zero free throws on Monday by making four free throws in the first quarter. The Sixers made sure to give him regular post and isolation touches early on and he scored 10 points in the first quarter, including a jumper over Jackson. The offense certainly wasn’t clicking all game, but Embiid seemed much closer to normal in terms of looking to score aggressively.
Embiid also shot his mid-range jumper much better than in his previous three outings this season, which always helps.
He managed to play a season-high 35 minutes, including the entire third quarter. Embiid limped to the sideline with 3:29 left in the quarter after appearing to bump his right knee against Jackson, but remained there for the rest of the game.
Maxey very limited
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse told reporters in Memphis before the game that Maxey would have a “pretty short” minute restriction. I wasn’t kidding.
Maxey played the first 5 minutes and 29 seconds of the first quarter. That was it for the first half and they didn’t regain their form after the break.
Maxey started the scoring with a tipped floater after rejecting a ball screen from Embiid, but didn’t score a field goal again until the fourth quarter. The Sixers started 0 for 8 from three-point range and Maxey made three of those misses.
Naturally, Jared McCain canned the Sixers’ first long-range shot. The rookie scored a sixth straight 20-point game on Wednesday and also tallied a team-high five assists.
He played the entire first quarter and served as the lead point guard in some bench-heavy lineups. Nurse seemed to be looking for something that could work, using 11 players in the first half.
The Sixers had too many defensive failures both in the half court and in transition, failing to put the necessary focus and attention on the details. Grizzlies sharpshooter Luke Kennard lined up two consecutive open 3-pointers early in the second quarter and made both. He then faked it, drove the baseline and made the Sixers defense scramble, leading to a Jay Huff three-pointer in the corner.
Bane found his jumper in the second quarter, hitting several well-guarded shots, and the Sixers faced a 10-point halftime deficit. George scored just two of his 53 points on 1-of-6 shooting.
GeoBig departures, Sixers’ woes get worse
Less than a minute into the third quarter, George exited. He limped awkwardly after securing a defensive rebound and returned to the Sixers locker room. Guerschon Yabus replaced him.
George did not return and The Sixers later labeled his injury a “left knee hyperextension.” The 34-year-old hyperextended the same knee during the same preseason and was diagnosed with a bone bruise that caused him to miss the Sixers’ first five regular-season games. The Sixers will wait for confirmation that this particular issue is minor.
Yabusele (17 points on 6-of-8 shooting) didn’t mind at all a long stretch in the third quarter. He scored the Sixers’ first six points of the period with two long-range jumpers.
Embiid and Yabusele led the offense in the third quarter, but the Sixers seemed likely to struggle once their All-Star big man sat down. Sure enough, Memphis dominated with Andre Drummond on the court early in the fourth quarter. After a Drummond trip inside, Bane hit a step-back three on him that gave the Grizzlies a 105-89 lead. Memphis’ lead reached 20 points.
The Sixers lately increased their level of desperation, cutting their deficit to 115-111 on an Embiid jumper, but a miraculous, last-minute comeback would not have aligned at all with the brutal state of the team. They’re now 0-1 when Embiid, George and Maxey suit up and it’s unclear when they’ll have a trio of stars at full strength.