The 76ers braced for a season full of adjustments when it came to Joel Embiid’s left knee.
They did not anticipate this.
They didn’t envision unveiling their 28th different starting lineup for Tuesday night’s game against Los Angeles, just their 45th contest of the season. They did not envision stretches without All-Stars Embiid and Paul George. And they didn’t expect to be a play-in tournament hopeful in what was believed to be a championship-or-bust season.
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Despite all that, the Sixers have, for the most part, continued to play hard. That was evident in their 118-104 victory over the Lakers at the Wells Fargo Center.
“All I’m really after is that they’re going to give a great effort,” coach Nick Nurse said. “We’re going to try to guard. We’re going to stick to who we want to be. And that’s guarding hard and trying to deflect the ball and create turnovers.
“So they’re playing hard. Again, at the other end, we’re asking them to make the right play and continue to attack the paint, and not necessarily to score. I think there’s so much more drive and kick, which is getting more of those shots, too.”
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Following that blueprint, the Sixers led by as many as 25 points in a game they had no shot of winning on paper. All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey outshined Lakers star and four-time NBA MVP LeBron James by scoring 43 points on 15-for-26 shooting and adding three rebounds and two assists.
“I just tried to be ultra-aggressive,” Maxey said. “I saw they were switching pick and rolls. And then I just tried my best. … And then, I don’t know, I think we did a good job of just playing hard, though, honestly.”
Kelly Oubre Jr. added 20 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, while Ricky Council IV (16 points), Guerschon Yabusele (14 points), and Eric Gordon (14 points) also scored in double figures.
Despite not having a player over 6-foot-8, the Sixers held a 43-39 rebounding advantage. They also had more points in the paint (56-46), second-chance points (11-6), and fast-break points (23-12). The Lakers also committed 22 turnovers, which led to 27 points for the Sixers.
“That’s the foundation honestly of the game for us,” Oubre said. “Playing physical, wanting the ball more, getting extra possessions, making sure they only get one [possession]. The coaches did a really good job of getting us ready tonight. Making sure we’re ready to run from the jump.”
James paced the Lakers with 31 points and eight rebounds alongside a game-high nine assists. Lakers All-Star big man Anthony Davis (abdominal muscle strain) left the game in the first half and didn’t return. He finished with four points and two rebounds in 10 minutes.
The victory improved the Sixers to 18-27 and extended their winning streak to three games. This win over the Western Conference’s fifth-place Lakers (26-19) marked their second recent win over a playoff contender. The Sixers beat the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
But the Sixers were supposed to get boat raced by an L.A. squad that came in winners of its past five games.
Philly’s starting lineup featured Oubre, Justin Edwards, Yabusele, Gordon, and Maxey.
The team remained without Embiid, a seven-time All-Star, and the 2023 NBA MVP. George, a nine-time All-Star, also missed the game after suffering an extensor tendon injury to his left pinky on Saturday.
Embiid, who has only played in 13 games, has already been ruled out of Wednesday’s home matchup with the Sacramento Kings. George’s timeline to return to play will be determined in the coming days.
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But the Sixers playing without the duo is nothing new.
The Sixers lead the NBA with the most missed games by All-Star players this season with 54. The Los Angeles Clippers were a distant second heading into Tuesday with 38 followed by the Orlando Magic (34), Dallas Mavericks (24), and Phoenix Suns (24).
But Embiid and George weren’t the only Sixers unavailable to play.
Andre Drummond (toe), Caleb Martin (groin), KJ Martin (foot), and Jared McCain (knee) also remain sidelined due to injuries. McCain will miss the remainder of the season.
Meanwhile, Yabusele, who started at center with Embiid and Drummond out, banged up his right knee late in the second quarter. He went to the locker room to have it examined but returned minutes later.
“I just think that’s a testament to our season,” Oubre said of battling through the injuries. “Just ups and downs, ebbs and flows, but us staying together, finding a constant within the battles.
“It’s just around that time of year when we’re just tired of allowing ourselves to be depleted, and ourselves to get punched in the mouth when we play against these good teams. It’s time for us to climb back and feel good about ourselves, and our organization, I think we’re making strides and steps to doing that.”
Up Next
The Sixers will entertain the Kings at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday for the teams’ second and final meeting of the season. The Kings prevailed, 113-107, on New Year’s Day in Sacramento.