PHILADELPHIA — Not even 20 games into the season, the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday afternoon had to craft a starting lineup without three of the guys Nick Nurse pointed to on opening night.

The 76ers of 2024-25 were forced to adapt until they broke. This year’s squad was built with more interoperable pieces.

But in Sunday’s matinee 127-117 loss to the Miami Heat, the 76ers looked a player or two short.

Everyone in the NBA seems to be these days, so the scale is relative. But even against the Tyler-Herro-less Heat, the Sixers found themselves in a deficit.

Kelly Oubre Jr. remains out. Joel Embiid (knee) missed his seventh straight game and ninth in his last 11. VJ Edgecombe missed his first game as an NBA player, reporting calf tightness. Imaging revealed no injuries, so the team held h

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