Sixers’ slide continues with 127-104 loss to Golden State Warriors on eve of trade deadline

Nick Nurse has continuously emphasized his 76ers’ need to “pick one off” — in other words, find a way to win a singular basketball game — in the early aftermath of the reality that Joel Embiid will miss at least several weeks while recovering from knee surgery.

That remains a difficult task for the sliding Sixers, who again struggled to generate offense and wilted after the break in a 127-104 loss to the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

“We just come out with zero energy to start the second half,” Nurse said. “They just laid it in and they just blitzed us right in 90 seconds to kind of deliver some knockout punches on us. From there, it was pretty tough on our guys.

“They came out with another gear in the second half and just ran right past us on a bunch of stuff. Both physically and mentally, not enough energy.”

It was the seventh defeat in eight games for the 30-20 Sixers, who shot 41.8% from the floor (including 8-of-32 from three-point range), were outrebounded, 52-40, and shot 14 free throws. That offensive slog reinforced the importance of Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline, which marks an opportunity bolster a roster that remains depleted even beyond Embiid’s historic 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game.

All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey (12 points on 5-of-14 shooting, three assists) played through illness after missing Wednesday morning’s shootaround, while fellow starters Nico Batum (hamstring) and De’Anthony Melton (spine) remained out. Reserve wings Marcus Morris Sr. (foot) and Danuel House Jr. (foot) were late scratches, pushing Jaden Springer into the starting lineup and a primary defender on future Hall of Fame sharpshooter Stephen Curry. Foot soreness then limited Springer’s second-half minutes.

The Warriors (23-25) took control with a 21-7 run to begin the third quarter, punctuated by back-to-back three-pointers by Curry (nine points on 2-of-7 shooting) and Andrew Wiggins (21 points, 10 rebounds) to make the score 69-52. That advantage extended to 25 points when Klay Thompson (18 points on 4-of-5 from beyond the arc) buried a three-pointer with less than two minutes remaining in the period. It grew to 30 points, at 101-71, on another Thompson three-pointer less than three minutes into the final period — after Nurse had already inserted two-way rookies Ricky Council IV and Terquavion Smith.

That was an about-face from how the game began, when the Sixers built an early 10-point lead by holding the Warriors to 15 first-quarter points to match Golden State’s lowest output in any period this season. But the Warriors outscored the Sixers in the second frame, 33-23, spearheaded by a 4-of-9 mark from three-point range and Jonathan Kuminga’s eight points and three assists. The Warriors took a 48-45 lead into the locker room, despite Curry going 0-for-4 from the floor and scoring just two points before the break.

» READ MORE: Steve Kerr hopeful Joel Embiid will be healthy for 2024 Summer Olympics: ‘Our fingers are crossed’

KJ Martin finished with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting and five rebounds off the bench for the Sixers, while Tobias Harris finished with 13 points on 6-of-14 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and three assists. Patrick Beverley had 13 points and five assists, and Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 11 points on 5-of-15 shooting. Council scored 17 points in the fourth quarter’s garbage time.

The Sixers will conclude this four-game homestand Friday against the Atlanta Hawks, before departing for a two-game road trip on Saturday at the Washington Wizards (7 p.m.) and on Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers (7 p.m.).