PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers squandered their chance to win the first NBA In-Season Tournament by losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in demoralizing fashion. While the Cavs are a talented team even with the absence of Donovan Mitchell and two other key rotation players, the Sixers met them with little resistance to start the game and, despite forcing overtime, couldn’t get it done.

The Sixers allowed the Cavs to shoot 62 shots in the paint and score 68 points on such shots. Philly scored just 52 points in the paint. That 16-point difference is the worst margin against Philly's favor of the season to date — and it's not close, with the next worst being six.

Philly's defense surrendered openings on drives on what felt like every single play. Darius Garland made the paint his home, a comforting hub where he scored himself or assisted a teammate. The Sixers have seen the quickness-and-shooting-touch combination work super well for them in the form of Tyrese Maxey. The Cavs employing their own dynamic guard put them in a bind they couldn’t break free from.

The Cavs' big men might not have gotten that many routine lob opportunities since they were dominating the scene in college. The Sixers not only gave up those looks all game long but gave enough space for the Cavs to score off the dribble with shots on the edge of the paint.

“We didn't get into the ball. It was too easy for them. No physicality,” Joel Embiid said. “They got whatever they wanted. Like I said, we didn't get into the ball and we also didn't cover none of the gaps. So they had opportunities to just make plays, whether it's get to the basket or if whoever was guarding the big stepped up, they were just throwing lobs. But I thought we did a better job of that in the second half.”

Tyrese Maxey pointed to the defensive aggression as a reason why the Sixers were able to pull even by the end of the fourth quarter.

“Once you get stops and you get out and run and you're able to score the ball and pick-and-roll start working up, opening up some stuff for us,” Maxey said. “We realized some mismatches that we had down low and we started scoring the ball. Once we did that, it was good for us.”

The Sixers ability to close the gap showed the talent and resolve they have but this was not a game where they should have needed to dig so deep to come back. Absences from Mitchell, Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert made the Cavs go way deeper into their bench. They played like a team with nothing to play for — freely and with great spirit.

Of course, there were some key stakes in the In-Season Tournament up for grabs in this one. The Sixers' chances of advancing to the Knockout Rounds are essentially gone with a 2-2 record in Group Play.

Getting bullied inside wasn’t limited to just points, as the Sixers got outrebounded 56-44. While the Cavs do deploy a two-big starting lineup with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, neither is known for being a workhorse on the glass. Last postseason, they got demolished near-single-handedly by one of the best rebounders in the NBA, Mitchell Robinson. Embiid is someone who has historically gotten the best of Allen and this Sixers team has focused on improving its rebounding as a unit.

None of that work seemed to matter in this one, as Allen pulled in 13 boards — including six on the offensive end — while Mobley tallied 12. Four other Cavs had at least five. Embiid was the lone Sixer with double-digit rebounds (13) and his only teammates to collect five were Robert Covington (seven) and De'Anthony Melton (six).

“The physicality of the ball at both ends was really the big difference in the first half,” Nick Nurse said. “When we'd drive around them, they would body us out the lane. And we were just a little jumpy. I thought we were jumping our feet, turning our feet, not sliding early. And obviously, we did a much better job in the second half of that — at least getting some stops and playing a little harder and more physical.”

Patrick Beverley helped provide some energy down the stretch of the game, coming up with loose balls and fighting hard on defense against Garland (though he did commit some brutal fouls). Nurse turned to him down the stretch in part because of Nicolas Batum's foul trouble but also because he was searching for someone who could will the team back into it. For as limited as Beverley is at this stage in his career, he gave it a heck of a go.

“Obviously, you wanna be the most physical team every game,” Beverley said postgame. “I think it weathered up and down a little bit tonight. You know, we showed some physicality early and laid off, applied pressure, then laid off. So I think it's all about setting the tone, being that the most physical team out there — and we didn't do it. We didn't do it for a whole game. I think we did it for like two quarters.”

Not every night will be the Sixers' night. But when they do go down, they have to be swinging.