The Sixers could not overcome a gigantic difference in manpower Tuesday night against the Western Conference-leading Thunder They fell to a 118-102 loss at Wells Fargo Center, dropping to 15-23 with their third consecutive defeat.

Oklahoma City lost the second and third quarters by 10 combined points, but its talent advantage loomed large in the other two frames.

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, left, goes up for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers’ Jeff Dowtin Jr. during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum ...

Despite most — this beat writer included — assuming that the Sixers would have their doors blown off by the NBA's best team defense and individual scorer, the nine players donning red, white and blue played with absolutely no expectation that they were going to be on the wrong end of a blowout.

Here are the three biggest takeaways for the Philadelphia 76ers following a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points on 12-of-15 shooting to guide the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-102 win over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.

The G League lineup for the Philadelphia 76ers made things interesting against the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.

Jalen Williams contributed 24 points for the Thunder, while Cason Wallace notched 18 points. Oklahoma City shot 55.6 percent ... Justin Edwards (25 points) and Jeff Dowtin Jr. (18) set new career ...

PHILADELPHIA — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points and Jalen Williams had 24 to lead the Oklahoma City ... 76ers with 25 points, and Jeff Dowtin Jr. had 18. Thunder: Gilgeous-Alexander ...

The Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder are playing the fourth and final matchup of the season in OKC on Thursday night, with both teams playing on the second night of a back-to-back. This budding rivalry nearly reached a boiling point last week,

In the modern NBA, scoring from the perimeter is as vital as ever. That was a significant driver of the Oklahoma City Thunder's success last season, given that the team finished at the top of the NBA in 3-point accuracy during the 2023-24 campaign.