3 observations after Sixers get smoked by Clippers without Embiid and

3 observations after Sixers get smoked by Clippers without Embiid and George originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers never flirted with earning their first winning streak of the season Sunday night.

They instead got smoked by the Clippers and fell to 3-13 with a 125-99 defeat at Wells Fargo Center.

Jared McCain scored 18 points and Tyrese Maxey had 17.

James Harden posted 23 points and eight assists for the 11-7 Clippers. Derrick Jones Jr. added 18 points and Ivica Zubac tallied 16 points and 12 rebounds.

The Sixers were still missing Joel Embiid (left knee swelling), Paul George (left knee bone bruise) and Kyle Lowry (right hip strain). Lowry watched from the sidelines in a Philadelphia Eagles sweatshirt and jumbo-sized Eagles hat.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said pregame that both Embiid and George are “progressing.” He said George was on the court Saturday and that the swelling in Embiid’s knee has decreased.

The Clippers were down Kawhi Leonard (right knee injury recovery) and Norman Powell (left hamstring strain).

Next up for the Sixers is a matchup with the 12-6 Rockets on Wednesday. Here are observations on their blowout loss to the Clippers:

Sixers immediately fall into major hole 

The Sixers used the same starting lineup as in their win Friday night over the Nets, playing Kelly Oubre Jr., Caleb Martin and Guerschon Yabusele with a Maxey-McCain backcourt.

They soon found themselves playing catch-up. Put-back layups by Zubac and Jones prompted an early Nurse timeout. The Clippers racked up nine second-chance points in the first six minutes and the Sixers certainly looked undersized.

A 1-for-9 start from three-point range worsened the Sixers’ troubles. Yabusele and Andre Drummond were each whistled for illegal ball screens in the first quarter, too.

On the other end, the Clippers had no problem picking apart the Sixers’ defense when they hedged and blitzed Harden in the pick-and-roll. Harden poured in a dozen first-quarter points,…