Sixers vs. Milwaukee Bucks takeaways: Looking down, Bucks are deep, P.J. Tucker is loved

MILWAUKEE – The 76ers looked defeated.

The Milwaukee Bucks have a deep, long and athletic veteran squad. And folks in the Cream City still have love for P.J. Tucker.

These three things stood out in the Sixers’ 117-104 loss to the Bucks Sunday night at Fiserv Forum.

Aside from a third-quarter run, the Sixers looked like they had no business being on the court with a Bucks squad (56-22) that has the Eastern Conference and league’s best record.

James Harden had 11 points, six assists and five turnovers. He began the night by not taking a shot in the first quarter. The 10-time All-Star ended it by disappearing in the fourth. Harden did not speak to the media following the game.

Joel Embiid is the league’s most unstoppable player. He finished the evening with 28 points, nine rebounds and five assists. But the center didn’t play with the energy that has made him the MVP frontrunner. And there were poor coaching decisions by Doc Rivers. One came when Paul Reed, one of the few Sixers playing with energy, was subbed out with 10 minutes, 44 seconds remaining for Tucker. Milwaukee responded with a quick 7-0 run.

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The Sixers also looked like a squad lacking team chemistry. That’s not a good showing with four games left before the playoffs.

“I think the biggest thing is that in the midst of all that stuff, we still gotta be mentally strong to win the game,” Tobias Harris said, “at least to present to ourselves that we feel like we can win games.

“If you just looked at us there. I’m not watching the game on TV, but I can guarantee you saw a team that looked a little defeated out there from time to time in the game. That can’t be us as the playoffs get ready to start.”

With the game out of reach, Harris (six points, three assists, two blocks and one steal) sat out the fourth quarter.

Things won’t get easier for the Sixers (51-27), who are third in the East. They entertain the second-place Boston Celtics. Boston (54-24) has won this season’s previous three meetings.

“We weren’t good on both ends of the floor tonight,” Embiid said. “And you just find ways to get better.”

“Obviously, you are playing two teams back-to-back that’s good. But you gotta look at yourself and see how you can get better.”

The Sixers’ bench has shown some improvement. But it doesn’t come close to matching the talent and length off Milwaukee’s bench.

Joe Ingles, a 6-foot-9 forward, was the sixth man. Then 6-11 forward Bobby Portis was the next player off the bench, followed by 6-6, 235-pound forward Jae Crowder and 6-1 point guard Javon Carter. And all four made contributions in what turned out to be a one-sided victory.’

Portis scored 18 points on 8-for-11 shooting. Ingles had six points and was a plus-13. Crowder didn’t score in his 17:04, but had a physical presence. And Carter didn’t score a point, but finished with six assists while doing a solid job of running the offense.

Tucker was a member of the Bucks’ 2021 NBA championship team, and has fond memories of it. And people here still appreciate him.

He hasn’t paid for a meal in Milwaukee since winning the title, and that included eating at a resturarant here Saturday night. Tucker was also greeted by Bucks employees on the court before the game. And an employee visited him following the game in the Sixers’ locker room.

One of his biggest takeaways from his championship season was a collective feeling that nothing else mattered except winning.

He said there was an energy and confidence around the team where players came in every day knowing they were going to win.

“It’s a different type of thing,” he said. “It’s weird when I come here, it kind of switches that. I’m always like that, especially now. But it gives me that feeling, again.”

It’s a feeling that Tucker passes along through words and with his selfless actions. He realizes no one remembers how many points someone scored on a championship team. All they remember about the players is they’re winners.

“That’s the hardest thing, because it’s easy to say it,” he said. “Then when you sacrifice and you win, and then you extend the sacrifice. When you do it and you don’t win, then you say, ‘Why did I do it?’ It’s like, ‘Whatever, whatever.’ When you do it and win, it’s like it does make a difference, it does matter.”

Best performance: This goes to Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks MVP candidate finished with game highs of 33 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks.

Worst performance: Harden gets this one. The Sixers point guard had more turnovers (five) than made shots (four).

Best defensive performance: Bucks center Brook Lopez gets this one. Embiid had 28 points, but shot 11-for-25 from the floor.

Worst statistic: This goes to the Bucks’ second-half three-point shooting. They made just 25% of their three-pointers.

Best statistic: This goes the Bucks’ first-quarter shooting. They shot 69.6%.