3 observations after Sixers were knocked out by NBA-leading Cavs

3 observations after Sixers traded away by NBA-leading Cavs originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers were unable to pull off a surprising road win over the NBA-leading Cavs on Saturday night.

Cleveland won very comfortably on home soil, improving to 25-4 with a 126-99 decision. The Sixers fell to 9-17.

Tyrese Maxey scored a team-high 27 points. Paul George had 11 points and shot 4 for 12 from the field.

The Cavs got 26 points from Darius Garland. Evan Mobley scored 22 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

The Sixers were without Jared McCain (left lateral meniscus surgery) and Joel Embiid, who rested the night after a 34-point, nine-assist performance in the Sixers’ win over the Hornets. Cleveland’s Isaac Okoro (right shoulder AC joint sprain) and Max Strus (treatment for a right ankle injury) were sidelined.

Here are observations from the Sixers’ disastrous loss on Saturday in Cleveland:

Offense is a slog for the Sixers

For the second straight time, Maxey was ready to go as soon as the game ended.

After scoring 15 points in the first quarter on Friday, he scored the Sixers’ first eight points in Cleveland with two pull-up 3-pointers and a driving layup. Not only did Maxey take advantage of those offensive opportunities before the Cavs’ defense was fully set up, but he also drove and kicked the ball to Kelly Oubre Jr. for a three-pointer that gave the Sixers a 15-5 lead.

After going 2-for-12 against Charlotte, George missed his first two jumpers. Maxey then did a good job asking George to set up a ball screen for him. That led to George’s desired substitution for the 6-foot-2 Garland, and the nine-time All-Star scored two goals against him.

George couldn’t maintain his success and Maxey cooled off. As expected, the Sixers had a difficult time finding quality looks against a very good opponent with plenty of rim protection. Especially without the ability to score points in isolation, the Sixers needed a night with few mistakes and great jump shooting.

As a team, the Sixers recorded a season-low 13 assists on 34 field goals made.

Aside from the buzzer-beater, there is no magic off the bench

Caleb Martin returned to the Sixers’ bench on Saturday after recovering from a right shoulder injury and played his first game since Dec. 8.

The highlight of Martin’s first stint was a slippery ride and a tricky scoop layup. Martin ended up playing 29 minutes and scoring eight points on 3-for-10 shooting, three rebounds and three assists.

The Cavs took the lead late in the first quarter. Donovan Mitchell threw a fastbreak and a dunk. A few plays later, Cleveland turned a George giveaway into a Caris LeVert slam. The Sixers dashed their hopes of an unexpected victory with ten turnovers in the first half.

In addition to Martin, the Sixers used Guerschon Yabusele, Ricky Council IV, Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon off the bench in the first half. Council made the hardest shot of the night when he fired a jumper from about 40 feet away just before the halftime buzzer.

While several Sixers made good jumps from the bench, no one besides Maxey provided the necessary additional goal. Oubre shot 3-for-11 from the floor and his streak of consecutive nights with double-digit goals ended at 11 games.

True to form Cavs

Oddly enough, Martin was on the floor instead of Maxey at the start of the third period. Maxey soon reached the scorer’s table and checked in after 24 seconds.

The Cavs quickly increased their lead to 20 points, but Maxey and the Sixers pushed back. A Maxey three-pointer cut Cleveland’s lead to 81-73. In Cleveland, he shot 5-for-10 from distance, making at least three 3-pointers in his fifth straight game. During that stretch, he averaged 27.4 points and hit 42 percent of his threes.

Unfortunately for the Sixers, the team with the NBA’s highest three-point percentage didn’t have an unusual night.

Cleveland shot 51.2 percent from distance. Garland made 6 of 7 three-pointers.

With the Sixers facing a significant deficit, rookie center Adem Bona subbed in for Yabusele late in the third quarter and Jeff Dowtin Jr. opened the fourth quarter. There was plenty of garbage time.

The Sixers will try to get back on track on Monday night in Philadelphia – presumably by pitting Embiid against 7-foot-2 Spurs sensation Victor Wembanyama. Embiid scored a Sixers record 70 points in his last game against San Antonio.