The Sixers’ losing streak reaches 5 after they lost at the Los Angeles Lakers

LOS ANGELES – The hope was that the 76ers would pull off a miracle against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Their coach asked his team to move the ball and reduce turnovers. Nick Nurse emphasized to the media that the team “needs to play a little harder to prevent some of these guys from being lost” regarding the loss of All-Stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

In the Sixers’ final game of a three-game trip to the West Coast, performance wasn’t an issue.

But execution?

” READ MORE: Tyrese Maxey is ready to “fight through” his injury and the Sixers’ current situation.

They did so little of that right.

The Sixers blocked their shots 13 times, made just 13 of 39 three-pointers and shot 65.2% from the foul line. This and the inability to make stops resulted in a 116-106 setback at Crypto.com Arena on Friday night.

They were also doomed by another poor offensive period in the third quarter.

The Sixers trailed 68-64 51 seconds into the third quarter. However, they missed six straight shots and committed a costly turnover, allowing the Lakers to go on a 10-0 run to build a 14-point lead. The Sixers finally scored on a three-pointer from Caleb Martin to make the score 78-67 with 7:36 left in the quarter.

The loss extended the Sixers’ losing streak to five, dropping them to 1-7 on the season. It is their worst start since the start of the 2016/17 season with an identical record. This team finished the game 28:54.

The Sixers are expected to perform better this season once they get healthy. Embiid has yet to play due to a left knee injury and subsequent three-game suspension. The 2023 NBA MVP will make his season debut on Tuesday in the NBA Cup game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. Meanwhile, Maxey is out with a right hamstring strain. The league’s 2024 All-Star and Most Improved Player could be sidelined for two weeks.

But right now the Sixers are not a good team.

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Paul George had nine points on 4-for-13 shooting while missing all six of his three-point attempts. The nine-time All-Star finished with eight assists and four rebounds in his third game as a team after recovering from a bone bruise in his left knee.

Rookie Jared McCain arguably had his best game. The 16th pick in June’s draft had 18 points and, as the seventh man, posted career-highs with four three-pointers to go and two assists. And Andre Drummond recorded his second double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

However, LeBron James and Anthony Davis showed why they are among the best players in the world. James, a four-time MVP, finished the game with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists, his second triple-double of the season. Davis now had 31 points and nine rebounds.

Next

The Sixers will entertain the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday at Wells Fargo Center (NBC Sports Philadelphia, 7 p.m.).