PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The trio of 76ers stars looked majestic on opening night as their images covered the arena’s 4K kinetic scoreboard. Joel Embiid palmed a basketball. Tyrese Maxey in the middle appeared ready to burst off the screen for a dunk. Paul George looked fierce as he squeezed a ball with both hands.
Two weeks into the season, the three have yet to play a game together, with an injury to Maxey the latest setback.
The 24-year-old Maxey has an injured right hamstring and could miss at least two weeks. The 76ers said Thursday night that Maxey, who was injured a night earlier in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, would be re-evaluated in one week.
Maxey leads the Sixers in scoring at 27.6 points and leads the NBA with 39.7 minutes played per game. He scored 12 points in 32 minutes against the Clippers but sat out the fourth quarter.
“Not very good luck,” coach Nick Nurse said Wednesday night. “We’ve got to hang in there and still find a way to compete and play better.”
Embiid, Maxey and George were the expected anchors of a Philadelphia team that counted on this season as the one to finally make a deep run in the playoffs, all three with massive contracts to match the lofty expectations.
George bolted from the Clippers to sign a four-year, $212 million free-agent contract. Maxey, a first-time All Star last season, reached a five-year, $204 million extension. Embiid, an NBA MVP and an Olympic gold medalist, agreed to a $193 million extension.
What has all that spending on three players with 17 combined All-Star nods gotten the Sixers?
Try a 1-6 record headed into Friday's game at the Los Angeles Lakers — tied with Milwaukee and Utah for worst in the NBA.
With their stars on the bench, the 76ers already face a thorny road to the postseason — or smooth sailing toward Cooper Flagg and the draft lottery.
There have been 20 teams in NBA history to make the playoffs after starting 1-6 or 0-7, though it’s been extremely rare in recent years. In the last 27 years, only three teams -- the 2003-04 Miami Heat (0-7), the 2004-05 Chicago Bulls (0-7) and the 2021-22 New Orleans Pelicans (1-6) had such a start and went on to make the playoffs.
Of those three, only the Heat won a first-round series.
George, who scored 18 points and was booed by Clippers fans in his return to Los Angeles, has played only two games this season because of a bone bruise on his left knee suffered in a preseason game.
The 76ers have played all season without Embiid, both for what the team calls left knee management and because of a three-game suspension for shoving a member of the media.
The 76ers have been under more NBA investigations (two) than they have wins (one) this season.
The NBA fined the Sixers $100,000 last month for public statements, including by president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and Nurse, that were inconsistent with Embiid’s health status and in violation of league rules, including the player participation policy.
Embiid was suspended three games without pay after he shouted at and eventually shoved a newspaper columnist Saturday night.
The 76ers have lost four straight. After playing the Lakers, they are back home Sunday against Charlotte and have another home game Tuesday against New York. Embiid is set to make his season debut against the Knicks in the first game of NBA Cup play.
“We've got to play better,” Nurse said. “We're taking two (steps) forward and two back. We've got to develop some consistency and play a little better.”
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Dan Gelston, The Associated Press
