3 observations after Sixers struggled in opener, lost to Bucks without Embiid and George – NBC10 Philadelphia

No star trio, no opening win at Wells Fargo Center for the 2024-25 Sixers.

The Sixers lost both Joel Embiid (left knee injury treatment) and Paul George (left knee bruise) and lost their first game of the season in a 124-109 loss to the Bucks on Wednesday.

Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. Damian Lillard scored 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 25 points. He went just 10 for 31 from the field. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 21 points.

Here are observations on the Sixers' loss to the Bucks:

Provisional lineups for the start

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse's starting lineup on opening night consisted of Maxey, Eric Gordon, Oubre, KJ Martin and Andre Drummond.

Nurse had liked Caleb Martin's energy off the bench in the preseason and stuck with him as a regular substitute in the first game, playing the 29-year-old forward for 37 minutes. At the start of the second half, Nurse had Caleb Martin (12 points, nine rebounds) replace KJ Martin in the Sixers' lineup.

Maxey scored the Sixers' first basket of the season with a three-pointer near the end of the shot clock. He missed several close-range attempts in the first quarter and started 2 for 10 from the floor, although he capped the first with flying colors with a tricky layup that beat the buzzer.

Despite their offensive difficulties, the Sixers still managed to build a modest early lead. There wasn't much to like about the Sixers' offense in the first quarter — little fluidity, not much of the brisk, single-minded pace that Nurse emphasized in the preseason — but their role players generally did a good job.

The Sixers played solid team defense, had no turnovers in the first third and started strong on offense. Drummond and KJ Martin chipped in on put-back layups. Caleb Martin grabbed an offensive ball shortly after coming on for KJ Martin, who unsurprisingly committed two fouls in his first five minutes protecting Antetokounmpo.

There's a ton of weight on Maxey's shoulders

Maxey started the second quarter well, hitting a floater and a baseline jumper from mid-range.

However, he was always frustrated that there were no fouls on his drives. Last season's Most Improved Player made 18 field goals before hitting one free throw.

Kyle Lowry (13 points, six assists) was the Sixers' lone second-unit guard on Wednesday. Caleb Martin and Guerschon Yabusele were the only two other bench players Nurse used until Ricky Council IV entered in the third quarter with the Sixers trailing by 18 points. Jared McCain made his NBA debut with the game out of reach late in the fourth, scoring two shots with a mid-range shot and a put-back lay-in. Adem Bona also converted a debut layup.

Yabusele converted a corner three on his first shot as a Sixer.