Missed opportunity, Tyrese Maxey’s struggles, other things we learned in Sixers’ 115-102 loss to Spurs

The Sixers dropped the first game of their final road trip against the San Antonio Spurs, 115-102. The Spurs are one of the best temas in the NBA and are fighting for seeding in the Western Conference, but the Sixers matched them shot-for-shot before letting the game slip away late.

Here’s what we learned from the Sixers’ loss in San Antonio:

Victor Wembanyama scored 17 points in the first half, but missed the entire second half with a left rib contusion, which appeared to happen when he was fouled by Paul George. That gave the Sixers a massive opportunity to pick up a win in their toughest remaining game.

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The Sixers took a lead early in the third and trailed 87-85 late in the quarter, but the Spurs went on a 17-4 run between the end the third and start of the fourth.

The No. 6 seed in the East is still in play, but the Sixers let an unexpectedly winnable game slip through their fingers. Thursday’s game in Houston now becomes more important, especially since the Magic picked up an unexpected win over the Detroit Pistons, creating a three-way tie between the Sixers, Orlando, and the Charlotte Hornets for the No. 7 seed.

Tyrese Maxey played maybe his worst game of the season in San Antonio on Monday. He didn’t score his first basket until midway through the third quarter, a three-pointer, and went 6-for-16 from the field.

He finished the game with 15 points, eight assists, and four turnovers, and looked out of sorts all night. In a game the Sixers had potential to steal, Maxey wasn’t good enough to take advantage, especially in the first half.

Something about San Antonio brings out the best in Joel Embiid. He, of course, scored 70 points in Wembanyama’s first trip to Philadelphia two years ago.

Embiid didn’t shoot great from three (2-for-6), but excelled in the paint and from the mid-range, hitting key jumpers and working with George in the pick-and-roll game. He got to the free throw line often, and cashed in on those opportunities, going 16-for-19 from the line.

Sixers coach Nick Nurse subbed Embiid out to begin the fourth quarter for Andre Drummond, which sparked a plus-seven stretch for the Spurs that buried the Sixers for good, wasting a 34-point, 12 rebound performance from Embiid.