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Tyrese Maxey’s 39 points not enough in Sixers’ 122-115 overtime loss to Houston Rockets

Maxey helped send the game to overtime, but was held scoreless in the extra frame. With the loss, the Sixers have dropped seven of their last eight games.

Sixers' Tyrese Maxey scored 28 of his 39 points in the second half.
Sixers' Tyrese Maxey scored 28 of his 39 points in the second half.Read moreElizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

The 76ers are focused on “staying together” because they know the alternative will lead to a downward spiral.

That mindset is great. But one has to wonder how long will they be able to “stay together” while compiling loss after loss after loss.

The latest loss was Wednesday night’s 122-115 overtime setback to the Houston Rockets at the Wells Fargo Center. It was the seventh loss in eight games for the Sixers (3-14).

» READ MORE: Sixers focused on playing together and staying together after 3-13 start to season

The Sixers haven’t come close to what they were expected to be in large part because of Joel Embiid’s lack of availability.

The 2023 league MVP has only played in four games this season. He missed the last three games after experiencing left knee swelling against the Memphis Grizzlies on Nov. 20.

Meanwhile, Paul George also missed his third straight game with a left knee bone bruise. This was the fourth game that Kyle Lowry missed due to strained right hip. And Caleb Martin was downgraded to out before the game with a lower-back soreness after being listed as questionable most of the day.

Tyrese Maxey tried to will the undermanned Sixers to victory, scoring 28 of his 39 points after the intermission. The All-Star guard finished the game with six three-pointers, 10 assists, and five steals.

“It was amazing,” coach Nick Nurse said of Maxey’s performance. “I thought he did a great job of calling the game, figuring out where to get some space. I think that he obviously shot the ball really well, which is great... I thought he was fast, and his shooting was on par. Ten assists, five steals, awesome game.”

However, the Rockets made just enough clutch plays to win the game. It appears whenever Maxey would hype up the crowd with a clutch basket, Houston would respond with one of its own on the ensuing possession.

The Rockets also had timely steals, rebounds, and clutch foul shooting.

But that didn’t stop the Sixers’ comeback effort.

Down 108-105, Maxey was fouled while attempting a three-pointer with 11.1 seconds left. He sank all three to tie the score. After a Rockets’ timeout, Alperen Sengun missed a 12-footer with 0.1 seconds left, leading to overtime.

After Guerschon Yabusele hit a three-pointer to open overtime, the Sixers missed their next five shot attempts. That enabled the Rockets (14-6) to build a 117-111 advantage. The Sixers later had a goaltending called in their favor overturned.

» READ MORE: Sixers’ Jared McCain learning swift lesson on life at the top of scouting reports: ‘We need his aggression’

Initially, Sengun was called for goaltending on Maxey’s layup attempt. After review, they ruled that he blocked the shot while it reached its apex. The Sixers shot 3-for-11 in overtime. Maxey was held scoreless in the extra session.

Sixers standout rookie Jared McCain struggled for the second consecutive game. He had 15 points on 6-for-19 shooting while missing all seven of his three-pointers. Yabusele finished with 22 points while making 4 of 6 three-pointers and compiling a season-high 13 rebounds. Ricky Council IV had 12 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

Jalen Green led all scorers with 41 points, scoring 18 in the first quarter. Meanwhile, Sengun, who finished with 22 points and game-high 14 rebounds, dominated the extra session. That’s when he scored 11 points on 3-for-4 shooting while 5 of 6 free throws. He also grabbed five rebounds and had a key block in overtime.

“I mean, you know, my teammates just trusted me in overtime, and I did not want to fail them,” he said of his performance. “I can say I was being successful again because I just wanted to win and thought this was going to be my overtime.”

Fred VanVleet had 13 points and five assists.

Tenth different starting lineup

On this night, the battered squad unveiled its 10th different starting lineup, going with Kelly Oubre Jr., Yabusele, Andre Drummond, Maxey, and McCain.

Maxey and Oubre were the only projected starters heading into this season. The other projected starters were Embiid (left knee injury management), George (left knee bone bruise), and Martin (lower back soreness).

“Obviously, it’s not ideal,” Nurse said of having a 10th different starting lineup. “But we got to see what this group looks like together. You always try to decide what are the things that could be an issue, and what can be some positives.”

A big question heading into the matchup against the Rockets (14-6) was whether these five players could function together, organizationally.

Sixers unsure what to expect from Embiid

But the biggest question surrounding the Sixers was what they will do in regard to Embiid for the remainder of the season.

Wednesday morning, ESPN reported the Sixers sought six medical opinions before signing Embiid to a three-year, $193 million contract extension in September. Those consulted believed his knee could be managed with a combination of rest and procedures to promote healing.

However, Embiid has experienced knee swelling after playing four games in nine nights. Those were the only games he’s played this season.

With that, Nurse was asked about expectations for Embiid throughout the remainder of the season.

» READ MORE: Paul George aims to return within the week after a ‘super frustrating’ situation from a bone bruise in his knee

“Well, I don’t think we know,” Nurse said. “All of that … is on our plate. He needs to play, again, to see how it reacts. That’s kind of where we are at right now. Again, if it gets to a point where he can play, and then the recovery, the process of when he can go again, and all that kind of stuff.”

The Sixers knew there would be be some moments where his recovery would take longer.

“But we’re hoping that those times in between playing get less and less as we go,” Nurse said.

Up next

After Thanksgiving, the Sixers will embark on a two-game road trip. They’ll have the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night at Little Caesars Arena (7 p.m., NBCSP). Then the Sixers will head to Charlotte for Tuesday’s night’s matchup against the Hornets at the Spectrum Center (7 p.m., NBCSP).