Tirese McKay loses his blunt reaction to second straight loss to Cavs

The The Philadelphia 76ers suffered their second consecutive loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, falling 117-115 at home. The loss was Philadelphia’s third loss to Cleveland this year and was all too familiar, as the Sixers have now lost six of their last seven to the Cavaliers.

After the game, the 76ers star Tyrese McKay spoke clearly about where things stand.

“I mean, as of right now, it looks like it,” Maxey said of the Cavs be a tough match for the Sixers. “(We’re) 0-3 against them. So we’re trying to find different ways to establish a double-big lineup, a double-back lineup with (Donovan Mitchell) and (Darius Garland) and then sometimes (Craig Porter Jr.) and (Jaylon Tyson). So, as of right now, I guess they had to be right, and it’s hard for us? It’s hard for us? them.”

Friday’s loss was especially painful given the context. Philadelphia led most of the night and held a 100-89 lead with 8:47 left in the fourth quarter. With Cleveland shorthanded and Donovan Mitchell out, it looked like the 76ers were going to pick up an important win in the Eastern Conference. however, The Cavaliers rallied behind the heroics of second-year guard Jaylon Tyson.

Tyson scored a career-high 39 points on 13-of-17 shooting, going 7-of-9 from three-point range and going a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line. He also added five rebounds and four assists, with his final assist on a game-winning dunk by Evan Mobley with 4.8 seconds left.

After McKay hit a floater to tie the game at 115-115 with just over eight seconds left, the Cavs came out of the timeout with a perfect game. Tyson drew the attention of the defense and passed a twist to Mobley, who finished at the rim for the game-winning basket.

The Sixers’ priority is to limit Mitchell after he scored 35 points in a 133-107 win over Cleveland on Wednesday. The adjustment worked statistically, as Mitchell finished 4-of-13 from the field for 13 points, including 4-of-7 from three and 0-for-6 on two-point attempts. Rookie VJ Edgecombe spent most of the game defending Mitchell and helped keep him in check. But the emphasis on Mitchell opened up opportunities elsewhere, and Tyson capitalized repeatedly, scoring eight points in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers erased multiple double-digit deficits.

Joel Embiid was a force for the 76ers, finishing with 33 points, the fifth time this season that he reached 30 points. Paul George and Quentin Grimes each scored 14 points and Edgecombe chipped in 10. Maxey had 22 points and contributed five rebounds, nine assists, five steals and two blocks, shooting 9-of-23 from the field. Over the last two games against the Cavs, McKay shot 14-of-39 from the floor, finding the Cavaliers’ long and active defense a constant obstacle.

The loss dropped Philadelphia to 22-18, seventh in the Eastern Conference, while Cleveland improved to 24-19, sixth in the standings and just ahead of the Sixers. The 76ers will stay at home and look to bounce back on Monday against the Indiana Pacers.