Paul George struggles in return, Sixers go ice cold from beyond the arc in loss to the Miami Heat

The Sixers got Paul George back on Wednesday night, but they forgot to bring their shooting touch with them, falling 108-101 to the Miami Heat in a frustrating brick-fest at the Wells Fargo Center.

Philadelphia shot a miserable 12-of-40 from deep, and if you’re looking for a reason why they lost, that’s pretty much it but for the sake of journalism and all things holy here at The Liberty Line, I’ll go ahead and talk about this miserable game anyways.

Can the Sixers play some defense for once?

Does a great offense beat a great defense? Well yeah, but when you’re not shooting and Joel Embiid is on the bench on the second night of a back-to-back then you have to rely on the latter, right?

Honestly, I would just like some type of effort from the Sixers on the defensive end. They spent the entire first half rolling out the red carpet for Tyler Herro and the rest of the Miami Heat, turning lanes and the paint specifically into their own personal layup line.

To be clear: Tyler Herro torched Philly’s backcourt, and the Sixers offered no resistance at the rim. The low man help was non-existent, the closeouts were lazy, and the rebounding effort was embarrassing.

Miami grabbed FOUR offensive rebounds on one possession, which eventually led to a wide-open three that felt like the Heat were basically mocking the Sixers for even taking the court.

When Kelly Oubre Jr, a defensive bright spot for the majority of the season, spent the night gambling way too much and leaving Heat shooters wide open on any trip down the court, you know the rest of the team was even worse.

The Heat hit just enough of those open shots to keep the Sixers at a distance, and when Philly’s offense turned into a brick factory, that was quite literally, all she wrote.

Side Note: At least a Sixers fan broke the Jimmy Butler trade news to the Heat bench. That was the lone bright spot of last night on the Philly-side of things.

WATCH: Fan breaks Jimmy Butler trade news to Heat bench during game against the Philadelphia 76ers

Tyrese Maxey Tried to Pull The Sixers Out of the Flames, But It Wasn’t Enough

If the Sixers needed any more proof that this team lives and dies by Tyrese Maxey, Wednesday’s game gave them a stark reminder.

Maxey was off from three (2-of-8), and because no one else stepped up, the Sixers could never string together a real run. He tried to jump-start the offense in transition, but every time the Sixers had a chance to take control, they’d miss an open shot or blow a defensive assignment.

Even on a “bad” night, Maxey was still their best player. He finished the night with 31 points, three rebounds, and five assists. Outside of Maxey, only one other “starter” scored in double-figures. Kelly Oubre Jr scored 15 on 6-of-16 shooting from the floor and 1-of-5 from three point range. 

We’ll talk about Paul George later, but he was miserable in his return from a pinky injury, scoring 9 points on 3-of-11 shooting from the floor, with a rebound, two assists, two steals, and a block. 

That says everything you need to know about this team.

Back to Paul George, He was ‘Rusty’ – And That’s Putting It Nicely

Paul George only took 11-shots on the night. That can’t happen when you’re given a max contract and Joel Embiid is on the bench. I guess you can say he wasn’t afraid to attack last night but the glaring bad news is that he couldn’t make a bucket to save his life.

As mentioned above, PG finished with three made threes but just 3-of-11 overall, and for most of the game, he was a non-factor. He had six points late into the fourth quarter before finally adding a couple of meaningless buckets in garbage time.

Thoughts and Prayers to Paul George during this difficult time

Paul George addresses his pinky finger injury. He said he still feels “zingers” in his finger when he dribbles and that he’ll have to wear his splint/bandage for at least 6 more weeks. pic.twitter.com/HwPinpctuc

— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) February 6, 2025

Thoughts and prayers to PG during this difficult time 🙏

— Drew Smith (@drewmsmith) February 6, 2025

I’ll give Paul George a little bit of grace for being rusty, but not really.

The Sixers can’t afford to wait for him to get back into rhythm. This team needs him to be the legit second option behind Maxey when Embiid isn’t playing, and if he’s just floating around the perimeter waiting for catch-and-shoot threes (and missing), that’s obviously not enough.

Hey Nick Nurse – What Are We Doing With These Lineups?

I cannot believe we are still seeing Reggie Jackson-Kyle Lowry-Eric Gordon lineups.

This is a real thing Nick Nurse is throwing out there.

I don’t care if the numbers somehow say this lineup is +100,000 per 100 possessions—I will never approve of it. Lowry, in particular, was horrible in this game. He looked slow, he was a liability on defense, and he brought nothing to the table offensively.

Meanwhile, Justin Edwards and Ricky Council IV barely played, even though they actually bring energy and athleticism to the floor.

With tired legs on a back-to-back, why weren’t they getting more run, Nick?

Game Notes:

1. The shooting was horrendous – 12-of-40 from deep isn’t winning you anything.
2. The defense was embarrassing, especially in the first half.
3. Paul George needs to find his rhythm FAST.
4. Nick Nurse’s rotation choices are baffling.

This loss doesn’t kill the season, but it’s another reminder that the Sixers are still a few pieces away from being legit contenders.

And if Morey is just gonna sit on his hands again at the deadline, we might as well start preparing for another second-round exit.

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