Player grades: Short-handed Sixers get blown out by Magic at home

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers got back at it on Tuesday with an NBA Cup matchup with the Orlando Magic. The Sixers entered the contest missing a number of key pieces such as Joel Embiid, Paul George, VJ Edgecombe, and Kelly Oubre Jr. which made this contest an uphill climb for Philadelphia.

After building a 7-point lead late in the first quarter, the Magic responded to tie the game after one and then blitzed Philadelphia in the second, outscoring them 51-25 to build a 26-point lead at the half. The lead was as large as 46 as the Sixers were blown out 144-103 to fall to 0-3 in the NBA Cup and end their chances at advancing to the knockout rounds.

Tyrese Maxey had 20 points and four assists for Philadelphia, Jared McCain had 15 points off the bench, and Justin Edwards added 13 points. Trendon Watford had eight points before leaving with an injury, Dominick Barlow had 11 and five rebounds, and Andre Drummond had three and 12 rebounds. Eric Gordon added 10 points.

Here are the player grades following the loss:

Tyrese Maxey: C

It was a tough start for Maxey as he missed a couple of looks in rhythm and then picked up a technical foul arguing with the officiating over the lack of a foul call. Once he refocused, Maxey was then able to get going on the offensive end as he put his head down and got to the basket. That opened up things for the Sixers offensively. The big issue for Maxey and the Sixers in this one was on the defensive end as Orlando found a lot of easy looks within its offense. Well, the offense was a problem in this one, too. It was just a miserable night.

Quentin Grimes: D-minus

It was a tough defensive game for Grimes as Magic guards found themselves open for 3-pointers in the second quarter. He also had a tough time getting into a rhythm on the offensive end and had a few head-scratching plays including throwing a lob way over the head of Barlow for a turnover. It was just a tough night for Grimes overall. One he would like to forget.

Justin Edwards: C

Edwards committed a couple of turnovers early leading to Magic baskets before knocking down an open 3 within the offense. After a quick stint on the bench, Edwards re-entered and was then able to give production on the offensive end as well as getting after it defensively. He was putting together a solid night before leaving in the third quarter with what looked like a foot injury. He did return, so that is a good sign.

Dominick Barlow: D-plus

The bouncy athlete got the start in this one and he had some good defensive moments while also finishing a slam off a screen-and-roll, but he had a tough time on the glass. He has a lot of athleticism and energy which helps him in that department, but a lack of size can hurt him against a team such as Orlando.

Andre Drummond: D-minus

Once again, Drummond was a force on the glass as he gobbled up rebounds on both ends of the floor while also protecting the basket with a couple of blocks in the opening quarter. Once he went to the bench for rest, the Magic were tough to keep off the glass. With that being said, it wasn’t a great Drummond game overall. He wasn’t converting on the offensive end and he had a few lazy moments defensively leading to some easy buckets for the Magic. He had a bit of a scuffle late in the second quarter with Orlando big man Wendell Carter Jr. which included Orlando’s Jalen Suggs getting ejected. Overall, a tough night for him.

Trendon Watford: B-minus

The offense got off to a slow start and there wasn’t much energy for Philadelphia in the early going of this one and Watford gave them a big jolt in the first quarter. He scored in the paint against this tough Magic interior defense and followed up with another bucket to give the Sixers some life. He was terrific in this one as he gave an edge with his toughness and got to the line to give Philadelphia some offense. He left in the first half with an adductor injury.

Jared McCain: C-plus

The second-year guard hopped off the bench and gave Philadelphia a big boost on the offensive end as he knocked down two triples while also getting downhill and drawing a foul to get to the free-throw line. The positive aspect for McCain in this one was him getting to the basket and converting on some tough finishes. The Sixers have needed him to find a rhythm offensively and this was a good showing.

Eric Gordon: D-plus

Getting a look in this one, the veteran produced early. His initial stint included him getting a steal while also getting to the basket and finishing a layup as the 17-year veteran showed he’s still got it. overall, he had some tough defensive moments, but Gordon was at least able to eat up some minutes.

Jabari Walker: C

The big man got a look late in the second quarter and knocked down a 3-ball from the wing. He also came to Drummond’s defense during the scuffle between him and Carter, so that will earn him some teammate points. He also played with a ton of energy, so that’s a big plus on a night like this one.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Short-handed Sixers get blown out by Magic at home