Fresh off a disheartening loss to the Kings in Sacramento on Wednesday night, the Sixers returned to action on Thursday night with a different test in front of them as they faced the Golden State Warriors. This time around, Joel Embiid was on the floor for the Sixers, while Stephen Curry was also a game-time decision and eventually upgraded to available for Golden State.
This figured to be a difficult game for the Sixers, but even when punching some brutal schedule-related factors into the equation, the team's showing was incredibly lackluster. The Warriors thoroughly dominated the Sixers on both ends of the floor from the outset, creating a margin so significant that the Sixers never made a real threat to get back within arm's reach.
Here is what stood out from the Sixers' 139-105 loss to the Warriors, concluding the West Coast swing of their six-game road trip:
Embiid plays, but Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond do not
Embiid, who was once again listed as questionable all day due to a left foot sprain, once again suited up. After resting on the front end of the Sixers' back-to-back, Embiid's inclusion in this game was hardly a surprise. Meanwhile, Oubre missed his second consecutive game due to a left hand sprain after not missing any of the team's first 30 games. Additionally, Drummond was sidelined the day after returning from his own three-game absence caused by a left toe sprain with the same designation.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse stuck with Kyle Lowry starting in place of Oubre. Nurse's full starting lineup: Tyrese Maxey, Lowry, Paul George, Caleb Martin and Embiid.
Warriors land a powerful opening punch
When you enter a season with championship expectations and get off to a 3-14 start, there is little appetite for a "scheduled loss." But if there was ever a game in which this team would come out flat, it would be the second leg of a road back-to-back which concludes a four-game stretch of contests across the country after a few heavy-minute games for many of its most critical pieces, and against an opponent entering the night with two days of rest in the midst of a six-game homestand.
That is the situation the Sixers found themselves in on Thursday night, and it was evident immediately. Golden State dominated the Sixers on both ends of the floor from the opening minute of the game. Embiid did not appear to be moving all that well, George found himself in foul trouble for the fourth consecutive game and Maxey got off to a slow start.
The only Sixer to play well in the opening frame was Guerschon Yabusele, who scored eight early points on perfect shooting. That included this end-of-shot-clock basket in which he bullied Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga — not a small man — en route to a basket at the rim:
Guershon Yabusele muscles his way through the lane for the easy lay. 💪
Watch Sixers vs. Warriors LIVE on SN1 or stream on Sportsnet+! 📺 pic.twitter.com/HbkBeWpmuX— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 3, 2025
By the time the first quarter came to a close, the Sixers were in a 16-point hole, trailing the Warriors 35-19 despite Embiid playing all 12 minutes of the frame.
Nurse tries another two-way player in search of a spark
On Wednesday night, Nurse gave two-way rookie wing Justin Edwards a chance to make his first NBA rotation cameo. Edwards only played five minutes and did not score, but provided solid defense against DeMar DeRozan and looked comfortable in an advanced setting after multiple weeks of dominant performances for the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League.
Two-way point guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. was been even better, and Nurse has always had plenty of trust in a player he has known for a few years spanning two NBA organizations. Looking for an early spark, Nurse went to Dowtin for the final moments of the first quarter and the opening minutes of the second quarter.
Unfortunately for Nurse and Dowtin, the 27-year-old's six minutes of action did not go all that well. Dowtin went scoreless and — perhaps understandably — had a very tough time as the primary defender against Curry, who freed himself from Dowtin time and time again for shots that are too easy for the greatest shooter to ever live.
Embiid gets going in second quarter, but Sixers cannot make inroads
After a sluggish opening frame, Embiid's mobility still looked fairly suboptimal for much of the second quarter. But he was able to grind his way to the free throw line on more than one occasion, and his 5-of-5 shooting line on free throws in the first half helped him get the Sixers going offensively. Embiid entered intermission with 13 points and eight rebounds, while George tallied 11 points on nine shot attempts in the first half. The Sixers scored 33 points in the second quarter.
The only issue was… so did the Warriors. The teams broke even during the period, which enabled Golden State to carry a 68-52 lead into halftime behind a 13-of-24 shooting performance from beyond the arc (the Sixers only made four of their 15 long-range tries during the half).
Golden State's signature ball and player movement were on display in its best form, as the Warriors collected 22 assists on 26 baskets in the first half, while the Sixers only made 17 field goal attempts in all during the first 24 minutes of the game.
The Sixers' most significant issue — it does not take a rocket scientist to glean this from the score — was their downright putrid defense. Even while acknowledging the clear disadvantage they were at from a fatigue perspective, they experienced an absolutely staggering number of defensive breakdowns — stemming from lapses caused by mental miscues and a lack of effort.
While Embiid sticks to his plan, his teammates lag behind
Embiid got right back to work in the third quarter, playing the entire frame and imposing his physicality on Golden State's undersized centers. Even on a night when his movement seemed hindered and he spent much of the game clearly attempting to conserve energy, Embiid was able to bully his way into points. By the end of the third quarter, Embiid was up to 28 points and 14 rebounds, along with 14 free throw attempts, tied for his season-high.
There was some material to not be thrilled by from Embiid in this one, but the former NBA MVP exhibiting his ability to grind into massive a free throw attempt total with a combination of bruising and smarts was a positive sign.
Curry leads onslaught in third quarter, putting Sixers away
Curry had a strong first half, with outstanding efficiency on decent volume. In the third quarter, he really put his foot on the gas, leading a torrid Warriors run with his shooting, scoring and playmaking. After making his first five three-point tries of the game, Curry found out that the bank was open when he went for his sixth triple:
STEPH CURRY HEAT CHECK. 🔥
6/6 from deep 💯 pic.twitter.com/u0uae71msg— NBA (@NBA) January 3, 2025
The entire Warriors team shot the ball extremely well in this one, but of course, Curry was the one to lead the way — and his terrific run during the third quarter served as the knockout blow everybody saw coming.
Up next: The Sixers have completed their four-game stretch of West Coast action, but their road trip is not yet complete. They will travel to Brooklyn for a matchup against the Nets on Saturday night before finally returning home for a three-game stint in Philadelphia.
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