A week after Sixers’ team meeting, little has changed for a 3-13 team

From the outside looking in, it appears that nothing has really changed for the better for the 76ers.

They had a well-publicized team meeting after last Monday’s blowout road loss to the Miami Heat. The highlight of that meeting was Tyrese Maxey challenging Joel Embiid to be on time for team activities. Players also told coach Nick Nurse that they wanted to be coached harder. The coaches, in turn, said they wanted the players to participate with purpose and attention to detail.

But maybe another meeting is in order after the 3-13 Sixers’ lackluster performance Sunday in a 125-99 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at the Wells Fargo Center.

» READ MORE: Sixers can do little right in a blowout home loss to the Clippers

Some people will point to the Sixers playing without Joel Embiid (left knee swelling), Paul George (left knee bone bruise) and Kyle Lowry (strained right hip). The squad looked lifeless at times against the Clippers (11-7). At times, the Sixers played like a team that didn’t want to put in the extra effort while being totally dominated.

The 26-point drubbing was their most lopsided loss of the season. At times, the Sixers’ play was reminiscent of the tanking teams of The Process era. Not what one would have expected following their heartfelt meeting.

The Sixers dropped to 1-2 since that moment and are expected to have a tough time defeating the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.

So how does Nurse think his team has responded to that night?

“There’s nothing you can say about tonight other than it’s just really disappointing,” he said. “Again, I think I was fairly hopeful, because this group, even kind of this group when we played Cleveland [without Embiid and George], we played OK, you know? We moved the ball, guarded hard, and played tough. Same group the other night against Brooklyn. A pretty hard-fought game, moved the ball, played tough. They just didn’t have one more in them.

“Tonight … the energy and physicality was off, man. Picked a tough night to have everybody kind of go a little bit energy draining, right?”

Nurse talked about getting his team focused and reenergized. The Sixers will go through recovery on Monday and prepare for their tough task against the Rockets (12-6). The goal is to get the Sixers back to playing with the energy they displayed against the Cavs and Nets.

But the Sixers have been trying to deal with the fact that the details of the meeting were leaked.

" I mean, it’s difficult when that stuff like that gets out,” Tyrese Maxey said, “especially, when you’re trying to build on it, you know what I mean? We were trying to talk amongst each other and let each other try to help each other. Try to help each other. How … we can be better. How … we can be better. Not just as a group, but as an organization, but I think guys kind of let that go.

“We have to let it go. I mean, it is what it is. It got out. Whatever. We figured that part out, and we’ve got to be resilient.”

» READ MORE: Sixers vs. Clippers takeaways: Defensive woes; boos for James Harden; criticizing Nick Nurse

The Sixers are trying not to panic, knowing that there’s 66 games remaining in the season. They know they only have two options. They can lie down and let teams have field days against them. Or they can play with some pride and win some games.

“I thought we’re going to be the team that’s going to go out there and fight every single night, no matter who’s on the court,” said Maxey, who returned Wednesday after sitting out with a strained right hamstring. “I mean, we get it. I got hurt. Jo got hurt. Kyle got hurt. P got hurt. Like, guys are in and out of the lineup. Yes, we understand that. That’s not ideal, but all of us can do one thing every single night, one through 15, and go out there, know the game plan, play extremely hard every single night, and that’s what we have to do.”