Sixers can do little right in a blowout home loss to the Clippers

This season has been about more than a lack of healthy players for the 76ers.

No matter who’s on the floor, the Sixers seem unable to make shots, defend, or grab rebounds. And that was the case Sunday in a 125-99 setback to the Los Angeles Clippers at the Wells Fargo Center. It was a game in which the Sixers remained without perennial All-Stars Joel Embiid and Paul George along with Kyle Lowry.

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The loss dropped them to 3-13 and marked their sixth setback in seven games. Meanwhile, the Clippers improved to 11-7.

The Sixers shot just 39.5% — including making 9 of 39 three-pointers. They also had a tough time defending. The Clippers shot 58.0% — highlighted by 64 points in the paint. Los Angeles also had a 44-33 rebounding advantage.

The Clippers also shut down Sixers guards Jared McCain and Tyrese Maxey one game after they combined to score 56 points in a victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

“They sent a lot of people at them,” coach Nick Nurse said. “They had the lane plugged pretty good, kind of random, they were just playing it two-on-two, switching it a lot, then just had a rover in the middle, like a spy in the middle, so that when they did get by their guy there was a next line, not like a secondary, almost a third line of defense there.”

McCain had his worst shooting performance of the season. The rookie guard had 18 points on 3-for-15 shooting. He went 2 of 11 on three-pointers, snapping his streak of eight consecutive games with at least three three-pointers made. This also marked the first time in eight games that he failed to score at least 20 points.

McCain made his first three-pointer with four seconds remaining in the third quarter. That came after he missed his first seven attempts. While he missed some wide-open attempts, the 6-foot-3 guard also had problems with the length and athleticism of the Clippers’ defenders.

“I will never say I’m disappointed,” McCain said of having his streaks snapped. “I think I’m always, I can control what I can control out there. I know my shots are going to fall. And it’s I’m in the NBA, I’m going to have a bad game. Like, I’m a rookie in the NBA. So I always say, ‘Give myself grace.’ I’m grateful I was even out there to play and be safe. I’m healthy. So I’m just grateful. I’m grateful that I had this. I thank God. I talk to God a lot. So I know he’s got me. ...

“It’s one game. I’ve never going to get down on myself.”

Maxey finished with 17 points on 5-for-13 shooting. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 12 points on 6-for-11 shooting. Ricky Council IV, Reggie Jackson and Eric Gordon added eight, seven, and seven points, respectively, off the bench.

But the Sixers were totally dominated by the Clippers. James Harden had 23 points. Ivica Zubac finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Chester native Derrick Jones Jr. had 18 points on a night when the Sixers were unable to stop dribble penetration and struggled with perimeter defense.

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Los Angeles built a commanding 33-point cushion in the third quarter thanks in large part to shooting 70.6% during the period. The Sixers pulled within 104-84 on Oubre’s dunk with 8 minutes, 10 seconds remaining, but that was as close as they would get.

Clippers reserve guard Terance Mann scored all 13 of his points in the fourth quarter.

The Sixers were also unable to overcome slow starts at the start of the game and the second half.

“There are several things, but the biggest thing was the lack of keeping the ball in front of us, from the defensive end,” Nurse said of the slow starts. “They just drove it to wherever they wanted to, to start the game. In the second quarter we finally got some physicality and cut off some of their drives. We just didn’t do that at all to start the game or start the half, which is certainly disappointing.”

The Sixers are off until they host the Houston Rockets on Wednesday at 7 p.m.