ORLANDO, Fla. — Joel Embiid is off to a dominant start but is clearly running out of gas. Paul George never found an offensive streak. And Jared McCain couldn’t keep up his incredible scoring pace before fouling out.

All of this led to the 76ers’ eighth defeat in their first 10 games, ending the highly anticipated season with a 98-86 loss to the Orlando Magic, this time at the Kia Center.

The Sixers didn’t go with what coach Nick Nurse called a “must-win” decision for multiple reasons. His team needs a quick rebound after an injury-plagued 2-9 start. And then Losing against the New York Knicks on TuesdayThe Sixers likely needed a victory to remain in contention for the playoffs of the in-season tournament, now renamed the NBA Cup.

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The Magic (8-6) turned a nine-point deficit in the third quarter into a double-digit lead in the final period. Orlando followed Franz Wagner’s (31 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists) transition layup to put the game away with a three-pointer, and Jalen Suggs (19 points, 7 rebounds) took the lead with a deep shot. We are ahead 92-82 with 3:10 left.

While Embiid put the Sixers ahead by scoring an efficient 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the first half, he scored just four points and missed all eight of his shot attempts after the break. Instead, McCain sparked the third quarter with 15 of his 29 points in the period; This included three deep shots that helped the Sixers take a nine-point lead. It was the fourth straight 20-point game for McCain, the 16th overall pick of the 2024 Draft, and his play during the Sixers’ early-season struggles has been a clear silver lining.

It was the Magic’s fifth straight win, a perfect 6-0 at home without All-Star Paolo Banchero. Their stingy defense held their fifth straight opponent to under 100 points.

Embiid’s exit comes after a rusty debut against the Knicks on Tuesday. Against Wednesday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers to manage his surgically repaired left knee. The opposite was true for George, who scored a season-high 29 points against the Knicks, coming off Wednesday’s loss, and then went 4-of-15 on Friday with 13 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds. The Sixers’ flashy free-agent signing, coming off a preseason bruised hamstring, missed his first eight shots before sinking a 3-pointer in the final minute of the second quarter.

The Sixers also continue to expect the All-Star trio to play together. Quarterback Tyrese Maxey missed his fifth consecutive game with a hamstring injury but is continuing his on-field work and will be re-evaluated early next week, the team said.

Meanwhile, the nurse dealt with the rotation on Friday. Kelly Oubre Jr. to keep McCain in the starting lineup. He was on the bench (5 points, 4 rebounds in 25 minutes). Guerschon Yabusele (4 points, 2 rebounds in 23 minutes) was Embiid’s backup at center in place of the ailing Drummond, who played four minutes in the first half.

The Sixers will continue their three-game road trip at the Miami Heat on Monday before taking on the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.