Sixers’ young players receive harsh lesson to ‘get in the fight’ in blowout preseason loss at Celtics

BOSTON — KJ Martin got to the basket for the authoritative conversion through contact, giving the 76ers the lead less than a minute into Saturday’s preseason matchup against the Celtics.

That advantage was short-lived in a jarringly lopsided on-paper exhibition matchup, which ended in a 139-89 Celtics bulldozing on their home floor.

The defending NBA champions’ roster was mostly intact, with All-Star wings (Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown) and their Olympian backcourt (Jrue Holiday and Derrick White) all available and starting. The Sixers, meanwhile, rested the bulk of their rotation on the second night of a rare preseason back-to-back. That thrust rookie guard Jared McCain into becoming his team’s leading scorer (20 points). And fellow first-year players Adem Bona and Justin Edwards into being the first Sixers off the bench. And Exhibit 10 players Jordan Tucker and Judah Mintz into entering the game before halftime.

To reiterate, it was only the preseason. Still, it was a harsh lesson for those young players that they must “get in the fight a little bit sooner,” coach Nick Nurse said. Because even if they are not in the full-time rotation for the Sixers’ championship quest that officially begins in 10 days, many of them will be needed in spurts while their team charts out strategic rest days for veteran players in an effort to be healthy and fresh for the playoffs.

“Teaching them how hard they have to play is something you have to do,” Nurse said after the game. “They’re young, and we’ve got to show them what it’s like. But it gives them some good experience out there against some really good players.”

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Nurse made sure to mention some individual positives from his team’s blowout defeat. Although McCain went 1-of-8 from three-point range, getting 21 shots off against the Celtics’ long and physical defenders was a plus. Edwards (nine points, three rebounds) flashed promise as an on-ball defender, along with adept offensive decision-making. Guerschon Yabusele (eight points, three rebounds), a 2016 Celtics first-round draft pick now getting his second NBA shot, with the Sixers, remains an option as a pick-and-pop, small-ball center.

Yet Nurse also lamented that his team too often got lulled into ball-watching Boston’s shot attempts, leading to a disastrous 60-33 rebounding discrepancy. Edwards said he quickly noticed a significant uptick in the Celtics’ speed and intensity, making him think, “Oh, wow. This is the real thing.”

Jeff Dowtin Jr., one of the few players Saturday with a decent amount of NBA experience, tried to keep teammates motivated and focused as the starting point guard. McCain was impressed by how the Celtics “just get continuous open threes” (they made a blistering 23 of 47 attempts) through sharp drive-and-kick execution.

“It [stinks], obviously, [that] I’m on the opposing side of it,” McCain said at his locker. “But it’s great for me to learn from.”

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Nurse has long valued player development. He came up as a G League coach. His player-development program with the Toronto Raptors was renowned, helping turn Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam into All-Stars while also guiding that team to the 2019 NBA title.

And the coach is still committed to that in Philly, even with a win-now, veteran group. Perhaps because of it. Joel Embiid, who remained away from the team Saturday after undergoing a knee evaluation earlier this week, won’t be the only Sixer load-managing this season. Paul George, Eric Gordon, Kyle Lowry, Andre Drummond, and Reggie Jackson are all in their 30s.

“I would believe there’s going to be some chances [for the young players to play],” Nurse said.

Those young players have been working together for months, from Summer League to informal workouts to training camp. Now, they are attempting to learn on the fly.

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They have played three preseason games in less than a week, including McCain’s first back-to-back since AAU ball, he said. While on the phone with his mother earlier Saturday, Edwards informed her that, yes, he already had another game that night. In between outings, McCain will dissect film and feedback provided by Sixers coaches and his personal trainer, and receive positive reinforcement from a sports psychologist.

The overarching goal: get in the fight sooner. Even on the road against the defending champs.

“We were put in a tough situation that a lot of guys had never been put in, especially for your first time playing,” Dowtin said. " … It was a first test for a lot of people. The game is moving fast. The crowd is in it. The gym is just loud. It’s packed.

“So just trying to cancel out the noise, trying to work on what we’ve been practicing since summer, and focus on those things.”

The Sixers return to action Monday night in Atlanta for a preseason game against the Hawks.