3 observations after Sixers lose to Grizzlies remain winless at home, with West Coast trip on deck

3 observations after Sixers' loss to Grizzlies, still winless at home with West Coast trip on deck, originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers haven't found any magic in recent days to make up for the loss of two All-Stars.

With a 124-107 loss to the Grizzlies on Saturday night, they dropped to 1-4 on the season and 0-3 at home.

Tyrese Maxey scored 23 points on 8-for-19 shooting and six assists.

Star Grizzlies guard Ja Morant had 18 points, 12 assists and six rebounds. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 27 points and Jay Huff added 20 for the Grizzlies, who improved to 4-3.

The Sixers were still without Joel Embiid (managing a left knee injury) and Paul George (left knee bruise).

Both players fully participated in the Sixers' practice on Friday. George ran sprints and individual training on Saturday morning after shootaround.

Memphis had several key players out with injuries, including Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart.

The Sixers will begin a three-game West Coast road trip Monday night against the Suns. Here are observations from their loss to Memphis:

Warm up behind the arc

The Sixers entered the night with a hit rate of 27.7 percent from three-point range and didn't start the game particularly promisingly in this regard.

Andre Drummond missed a corner three on the team's first possession as the shot clock expired. The Sixers started 0-for-6 from the floor and fell behind 5-0 on rookie forward Jaylen Wells' three-pointer.

A diving trio from Kelly Oubre Jr. got the Sixers on the right track in the first quarter. Maxey also hit a few early three-pointers and the Sixers ended up scoring 18 of their 28 points in the first quarter from long range.

Eric Gordon came into his own in the second quarter, hitting consecutive long threes from the right wing. He scored 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting in the first half.

That evening, the Sixers significantly exceeded their season high of 11 three-pointers in a game and shot 19 for 46 (41.3 percent) from distance. They clearly need to continue the upward trend from afar if they are shorthanded.

Grizzlies carry the size of the Sixers

The Sixers' early defensive work against Morant was encouraging.

Caleb Martin played solid individual defense and the Sixers were slightly better in transition than they were in their loss to the Pistons on Wednesday. They limited turnovers on live balls and sprinted back well as a unit, giving Memphis few opportunities to break through quickly.

Outside of the 6-foot-2 Morant, the Grizzlies had a height advantage at nearly every position. The Sixers tried to compensate with defensive variety, including some zone play early in the second quarter. KJ Martin helped the cause by stopping three shots in the second period, including a highly explosive layoff from the 7-foot-1 Huff.

Morant provided tough shooting during a Cold Period for the Sixers in the second quarter, hitting a baseline jumper from mid-range and hitting a layup over 7-foot-4 freshman Zach Edey.

However, Memphis eventually stormed ahead. Morant began to penetrate the paint with more regularity and the Grizzlies took control of the game with a 12-0 run. Edey's tip-in gave them a 59:52 lead with 0.2 seconds left in the second period.

McCain is a bright spot in the blowout

Memphis was the better team in the second half.

The Sixers' half-court offense was both labored and sloppy. They made a few expensive gifts and couldn't achieve much drive-and-kick success. In general, the Sixers have been understandably hesitant to test players like Jackson and Edey inside. The team only had 18 points in three quarters.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse used Reggie Jackson as his team's fifth man off the bench in the third quarter. Seconds after Jackson hit a top three, Jake LaRavia responded with a jumper from an almost identical spot at the other end. Huff continued to make comfortable three-pointers and the Sixers' deficit grew to over 20 points.

Jared McCain's relentless approach was a bright spot for the Sixers. In the fourth quarter, he continuously attacked and scored impressively, converting two three-pointers, a floater and a driving layup. The Sixers cut Memphis' lead to 14 points midway through the fourth quarter, although the Grizzlies never really seemed to be in trouble.

McCain scored 19 points on 8-for-16 shooting in his 17 minutes.

“I think McCain has shown nothing but confidence,” Nurse said Friday. “It’s not always the greatest play in the world, but he makes something happen, right? He makes things happen…not always good, sometimes bad, but he plays with a touch of confidence and a touch of full throttle. I think he’s still in our plans (when he’s at full strength).”