Shorthanded Sixers struggle offensively, fall to Utah Jazz

Paul Reed could not score inside over Lauri Markkanen, prompting a Utah Jazz transition opportunity. Collin Sexton broke free for the layup, putting his team up by 15 points with about five minutes remaining.

Timeout, Nick Nurse.

Game over, 76ers.

That sequence defined Saturday’s slog for a shorthanded Sixers collective , who fell 120-109 to the Jazz at the Wells Fargo Center to drop their second game in two nights.

With starters Joel Embiid (knee swelling), Tobias Harris (ankle soreness) and De’Anthony Melton (back soreness) and reserves Robert Covington (illness) and Furkan Korkmaz (illness) all unavailable to play, the Sixers were out of sync while cycling through a series of hodgepodge lineups. Still, they remained within striking distance for much of the game despite poor shooting, hovering under 40% from the floor for the majority and going 7-of-38 from three-point range.

The Jazz eventually opened up a 10-point lead in the third quarter, first on a Markkanen bucket with less than five minutes to play in the period and later when Keyonte George sank two free throws in the final minute. Utah’s advantage extended to 96-81 when Jordan Clarkson followed a finish with an and-1 floater early in the final frame.

The Sixers had a chance to cut their deficit to single digits late, but Patrick Beverley missed a three-pointer at the top of the key before Tyrese Maxey’s high-arcing baseline jumper sailed over the rim.

Markkanen, an All-Star last season, finished with an efficient 33 points on 12-of-19 shooting (including 5-of-9 from deep) and 13 rebounds.

A reason the Sixers largely hung around through three quarters? They forced 24 Jazz turnovers and parlayed them into 24 points. Though Utah also struggled from beyond the arc (8-of-30), its lineups made 57.5% of their field-goal attempts and scored 72 points in the paint.

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They also outrebounded the Sixers, 48-34.

Among those who struggled offensively was Maxey, who missed eight of his first 11 shots before finishing 9-of-24 (1-of-8 from three-point range) to total a team-high 25 points and nine assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 24 points, four rebounds, and four assists, while Reed finished with 16 points and six rebounds while starting in place of Embiid. As for Beverley, he had 12 points, seven assists, and four rebounds off the bench.

The good news: the Sixers have a rare three-day respite between games, allowing those injured and sick players time to heal before a Wednesday matchup at the Atlanta Hawks. Nurse expressed optimism Saturday that at least Melton would be ready to return for that game.