NBA: Fresh off lopsided loss, 76ers aim to tune out Jazz

The Philadelphia 76ers suffered a tough loss on Tuesday, but they have little time to dwell on the defeat.

The Sixers are back on the court Wednesday as they try to regroup against the visiting Utah Jazz, who are facing plenty of challenges themselves.

Philadelphia fell behind by as many as 49 points in a 131-91 home loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

The Sixers were without Joel Embiid (oblique), Kelly Oubre Jr. (illness), and Paul George (suspension). Standout rookie VJ Edgecombe (back) also missed the second half. All four players are expected to be out against the Jazz.

"You gotta focus on the people in this building," said Tyrese Maxey, who led Philadelphia with 21 points. "These are the people that you're going to be with for the rest of the season. If you want to make a run at doing something special, then you've got to focus on the available players."

Still, the Sixers' struggles went beyond missing stars. The team shot just 34.7% from the field and 23.8% from 3-point range.

Defense was a major issue in the second quarter, as San Antonio scored 46 points. Philadelphia’s offense also faltered in an 11-point third quarter.

"I thought we were doing a decent job of finding shots," Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. "It was taking a while, and I kept saying that in the timeouts. The open shots aren't coming as fast as they did the other night, but you just have to be a little more patient and continue to kick out."

Utah comes into the game looking to end a six-game losing streak. The Jazz have allowed at least 115 points in every game during that stretch, including a 128-125 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday.

The Jazz are also missing several regular rotation players, including Lauri Markkanen (hip), and will remain shorthanded for this three-game road trip.

"I couldn't be more proud of the team's effort," Jazz coach Will Hardy said after the loss to Denver. "I thought we were super active on both sides of the ball."

Keyonte George led Utah with 36 points. He missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer late but still shot efficiently, making 14 of 22 from the field and 4 of 9 from beyond the arc.

"He's been making a lot of plays downhill," Hardy said of George. "His reads all season have shown the work he's put in. Development is not all physical. There's an elite understanding needed to be a top player in this league."

Despite being in rebuilding mode, the Jazz are getting extended looks at potential foundational pieces such as George, Kyle Filipowski (19 points), and Ace Bailey (18).

"Coach Will even said it when he came in the locker room," Filipowski said. "If we keep playing hard like this, keep playing together, then we're gonna get where we want to in the future."

This is the first of two meetings between the teams this season. They will face off again on March 21 in Salt Lake City. Last season, Philadelphia posted two tight wins against Utah.

-Field Level Media/Reuters