Tyrese Maxey can’t do it alone, and other Sixers takeaways from a loss to the Sacramento Kings

The 76ers need more than Tyrese Maxey scoring.

Tobias Harris took a step back. And the Sixers had more turnovers than assists through three quarters.

Those three things stood out Monday in the Sixers’ 108-96 loss to the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.

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Maxey scored a game-high 29 points on 10-for-16 shooting — including 5 of 7 three-pointers. The All-Star point guard ran out of gas after the intermission. But before that, he didn’t get much help.

Twenty-six of his points came in the first half on 9-for-13 shooting. However, his teammates scored 22 points on 8-for-27 shooting in that time frame.

It was obvious from the start that he wouldn’t get any help. Maxey scored the Sixers’ first 16 points. It was the most by a Sixer to start a game since the 1997-98 season. His 21 first-quarter points were the most he has scored in any quarter.

Maxey was sensational in the first half. But his teammates have to find a way to get involved, especially after teams adjust defensively. The fourth-year veteran had three points on 1-for-3 shooting in the second half while the Kings blitzed him.

After he scored 24 points on Sunday vs. the Los Angeles Clippers, there was hope that Harris was over his shooting slump.

Not quite.

The power forward finished with 12 points on 5-for-15 shooting. Harris was held scoreless in the first quarter after missing his five shots. His first basket came on a layup 46 seconds into the second quarter. The 13th-year veteran added another basket, scoring six points on 2-for-9 shooting at the half. However, Harris missed easy baskets and made a lot of mistakes just one day after producing his best performance since scoring 28 points against the Dallas Mavericks on March 3.

The Sixers had nine turnovers and seven assists in the first half, in large part because no one outside of Maxey could make shots. Through three quarters, they had 14 turnovers and 12 assists. They ended up finishing the game with 18 assists and 15 turnovers. But their improved fourth-quarter play had a lot to do with the Sixers taking advantage of extended garbage minutes.

» READ MORE: Sixers-Clippers takeaways: Tobias Harris’ ‘outstanding’ play; Cam Payne’s bench scoring

One could argue that the Sixers’ offensive shortcomings could have been impacted without Kelly Oubre Jr. on the floor.

The small forward was sidelined with left shoulder soreness after taking a hard fall in Sunday’s victory. As a result, the Sixers went with their 31st different starting lineup with Nico Batum, Harris, Mo Bamba, Kyle Lowry, and Maxey.

Batum got the start in place of Oubre, who averaged 19.6 points in his last 12 games.