3 observations after Sixers struggled in opener, losing to Bucks without Embiid, George originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

No star trio, no opening win at Wells Fargo Center for the 2024-25 Sixers.

The Sixers lost both Joel Embiid (left knee injury treatment) and Paul George (left knee bruise) and lost their first game of the season in a 124-109 loss to the Bucks on Wednesday.

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. Damian Lillard scored 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 25 points. He went just 10 for 31 from the field. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 21 points.

Here are observations on the Sixers’ loss to the Bucks:

Provisional lineups for the start

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse’s starting lineup on opening night consisted of Maxey, Eric Gordon, Oubre, KJ Martin and Andre Drummond.

Nurse had liked Caleb Martin’s energy off the bench in the preseason and stuck with him as a regular substitute in the first game, playing the 29-year-old forward for 37 minutes. At the start of the second half, Nurse had Caleb Martin (12 points, nine rebounds) replace KJ Martin in the Sixers’ lineup.

Maxey scored the Sixers’ first basket of the season with a three-pointer near the end of the shot clock. He missed several close-range attempts in the first quarter and started 2 for 10 from the floor, although he capped the first with flying colors with a tricky layup that beat the buzzer.

Despite their offensive difficulties, the Sixers still managed to build a modest early lead. There wasn’t much to like about the Sixers’ offense in the first quarter — little fluidity, not much of the brisk, single-minded pace that Nurse emphasized in the preseason — but their role players generally did a good job.

The Sixers played solid team defense, had no turnovers in the first third and started strong on offense. Drummond and KJ Martin chipped in on put-back layups. Caleb Martin grabbed an offensive ball shortly after coming on for KJ Martin, who unsurprisingly committed two fouls in his first five minutes protecting Antetokounmpo.

There’s a ton of weight on Maxey’s shoulders

Maxey started the second quarter well, hitting a floater and a baseline jumper from mid-range.

However, he was always frustrated that there were no fouls on his drives. Last season’s Most Improved Player made 18 field goals before hitting one free throw.

Kyle Lowry (13 points, six assists) was the Sixers’ lone second-unit guard on Wednesday. Caleb Martin and Guerschon Yabusele were the only two other bench players Nurse used until Ricky Council IV entered in the third quarter with the Sixers trailing by 18 points. Jared McCain made his NBA debut with the game out of reach late in the fourth, scoring two shots with a mid-range shot and a put-back lay-in. Adem Bona also converted a debut layup.

Yabusele converted a corner three on his first shot as a Sixer.

When Drummond was subbed out and Yabusele moved to center, defending the rim and rebounding defensively became much more difficult for the Sixers. The 6-for-8 Yabusele is physically tough, but he’s not a true defensive player.

The Sixers’ short rotation meant they needed good minutes from all of their starters. Oubre couldn’t do that during a difficult stretch midway through the second quarter. Bobby Portis stole his loose dribble handoff attempt and rolled for a layup. Two consecutive three-pointers from Taurean Prince extended Milwaukee’s lead to 51-39.

As a team, the Sixers missed 18 of their first 21 three-point attempts. With Maxey well below his norm in terms of efficiency and no other stars available, the Sixers certainly needed better results in that area.

No good answers for Bucks’ star power

Several Sixers quickly piled up fouls to contain Antetokounmpo. Drummond and Yabusele were both whistled for the fifth time early in the fourth quarter. Yabusele was ultimately fouled.

While the Sixers have been effective at times when double-targeting Antetokoumpo from the post or hindering his multi-body attacks, he is extremely difficult for a single defender to handle. And the Bucks didn’t even have to rely heavily on Antetokounmpo as their lead continued to grow in the third quarter. Milwaukee’s drive-and-kick game began to boil. The same goes for Lillard, who made four three-pointers in the third period.

The Sixers looked depressed and their level of play dropped on both sides – quick possessions across half the court with minimal ball movement, obvious defensive failures, etc.

To their credit, the Sixers rallied early in the fourth quarter. They pushed on defense, forced turnovers, scored in transition and cut the Bucks’ lead to 107-95. However, Milwaukee was soon able to restore a comfortable lead.

Three stars sounds like a luxury on paper, but the Sixers still need to grind out wins this season with Embiid and George on the sideline. They’ll try again Friday night in Toronto against the Raptors.