3 observations after Sixers fail to finish off Magic, lose again in Orlando originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
For the second time this season, the Sixers failed to crack 100 points in Orlando and got decisively outplayed in the fourth quarter.
They dropped a 104-99 game to the Magic on Sunday night and fell to 15-22 this season.
Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points. Paul George posted 25 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
Cole Anthony led the 23-18 Magic with 25 points. Jonathan Isaac had a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double off the bench and Paolo Banchero recorded 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Sixers centers Joel Embiid (left foot sprain) and Andre Drummond (left toe sprain) each missed their fourth consecutive game.
The Sixers’ other injury absences were Caleb Martin (right groin soreness), Kyle Lowry (right hip sprain), KJ Martin (left foot stress reaction) and Jared McCain (left lateral meniscus surgery).
Orlando’s sidelined players included Franz Wagner, Mo Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Tristan da Silva (illness) and Goga Bitadze (right hip contusion) both started the game but did not finish it.
The Sixers will return to Philadelphia and face the Western Conference-leading Thunder on Tuesday night. Here are observations on their loss to the Magic:
Youth, zone get Sixers on track
Like CJ McCollum in the Pelicans’ win Friday, Anthony had a big start vs. the Sixers.
Anthony made his first five field goals and scored nine of Orlando’s first dozen points. As a team, the Magic opened 8 for 9 from the field and looked very comfortable against the Sixers’ defense.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse called an early timeout, set his team up in a zone, and subbed rookie center Adem Bona in around the midpoint of the first quarter. Fellow youngsters Ricky Council IV and Justin Edwards received first-quarter minutes, too.
All of the above had the desired immediate effect. Two Maxey free throws late in the first quarter gave the Sixers a 21-20 lead.
Bona took a typically fearless leap to swat away a Bitadze dunk attempt. The UCLA product’s college shot blocking has certainly translated to the NBA during his recent rotation run. Across the past four games as the Sixers’ backup center, Bona’s tallied seven blocks. With more reps, he also seems to be improving a bit at anticipating plays and choosing his spots to be aggressive.
Edwards chipped in a corner three and driving layup in the second quarter. The rookie wing played 24 minutes — his most yet — and had seven points on 3-for-5 shooting.
Maxey (and free throws) star in 1st half
The Sixers used all 10 available players Sunday.
To begin the second quarter, George and Guerschon Yabusele shared the floor with three bench players. The offense was stationary, iso-heavy and mostly ineffective with that unit. Meanwhile, Anthony kept sinking jumpers.
Maxey’s foul drawing wound up being the best part of the Sixers’ offense in the first half. He knew Orlando wanted to guard him physically and looked to profit off the bumps he was bound to absorb on his drives. Maxey went 10 for 10 at the foul line before halftime. He tied his season high with 12 made free throws in the game.
The Sixers also had some success in transition off Magic turnovers. Maxey, who ranks third in the NBA in steals per game, added three against the Magic.
George’s foul-out quite costly
The Sixers’ sloppiness was a problem out of halftime. They committed five turnovers in just over two minutes.
Eventually, the team refocused and got several timely baskets from role players. Yabusele hit a couple of post-up jump hooks. Eric Gordon (14 points) drained both of his three-point attempts in the third quarter. Kelly Oubre Jr. (12 points) scored twice inside.
George drilled three long-range jumpers in the third quarter. Even without Maxey taking a shot in the third, the Sixers went up nine points late in the period. It didn’t hurt the Sixers at all that Banchero, playing his second game after returning from a torn oblique muscle, was restricted to 27 minutes.
They still couldn’t hold off the Magic.
Isaac had a huge fourth quarter and tied the game at 91-all with a put-back slam. Orlando earned a 19-2 advantage Sunday in second-chance points.
George responded with a three … and then picked up his sixth personal foul when he bit on an Anthony Black pump fake. Edwards came in and George was forced to watch the final 2 minutes and 49 seconds from the bench.
“It’s the NBA,” George said Friday when asked about his foul trouble of late. “I couldn’t tell you that. I couldn’t tell you that, especially with what goes on on the other end and I’m the one that seems to be in foul trouble.”
As a veteran star on an undermanned team, George needed to avoid anything that could be construed as a foul in the final minutes Sunday.
The Sixers had to lean on Maxey and he couldn’t produce quite enough down the stretch, missing a free throw, a short jumper and a layup. Two Banchero foul shots pulled the Magic in front, Maxey was off on a game-tying three-point try, and the Sixers will head home at seven games under .500 with a matchup against the 32-6 Thunder on deck.
