PHILADELPHIA — The magic of the NBA Cup has provided, if nothing else, a respite for the Philadelphia 76ers. Friday’s game was the Sixers’ fifth of December. That tally will only reach six in the first 19 days of the month around the break for this weekend’s NBA Cup finals extravaganza in Las Vegas. For a team that limped out of the gates at 3-14 with injuries to all three of its rebuilt Big 3, the rest has come at an opportune time to recuperate but also — perish the thought — practice. “We had a tough week of practice,” coach Nick Nurse said pregame Friday night. “We’ve actually had a pretty tough three weeks of practice, and it’s kind of stayed the same. Did we take our time off that we were able to? Yes. But when we got to the court, it was pace and long and physical and all that stuff.” It’s perhaps not a coincidence that the 76ers have won five of six games. Or that the Pacers’ visit would be the third game which Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George all started together. If Step 1 in the 76ers’ season-starting struggle was getting all three guys healthy and on court simultaneously, then Step 2 would be making sure they look like they know what to do when there. That remains at a, “pretty introductory, exploratory stage,” Nurse said, specifically describing two-man offense between George and Embiid but applicable more broadly to just about everything around the team. Installations of new plays at practice are proceeding the way Nurse had hoped they would’ve two months ago. It will all take time, he’s cautioned, but finally they have that. It’s especially true between Embiid and George. George has played in all five games that Embiid has been healthy for this year, while Friday was George’s eighth start with Maxey. Maxey and Embiid have old ways to settle back on. Both are learning how to work with George, who is averaging 18.3 points in his last four outings, all 76ers wins. “We’re trying to see what kind of stuff is interchangeable with Paul and Tyrese, some of the stuff that Tyrese and Joel do together, can Paul get involved in some of that?” Nurse said. “It gives it a different look. But we’ve got a long way to go with that stuff.” The schedule won’t remain kind for long. The 76ers’ fourth meeting with Charlotte next Friday will start a stretch of 15 games in 27 days. They visit Cleveland and spend Christmas in Boston to kick off their customary holiday trip, visiting six cities, culminating with a Golden-State-to-Brooklyn redeye. The stretch includes three back-to-backs, a stated no-go for Embiid and George. It’ll supply a pertinent exam to bookend this intensive study period. • • • One of the complementary pieces that remains to be integrated is Caleb Martin, who missed Friday with right shoulder impingement. The offseason acquisition from Miami has played through pain, coach Nick Nurse said, including back and shoulder ailments. This down time is a chance to get him fully healthy — the 76ers have some practice at that — and back to the player the club expected him to be in the offseason. “I think it’s pretty clear that he hasn’t been 100 percent, and sometimes not very near to it and still wanting to play,” Nurse said. “He does have a game that he can kind of get some stuff done by just going out there and defending and things like that. But I think he needs to feel better to play better.” Nurse labeled Martin and Adem Bona — left knee tendinopathy — as “day-to-day-ish.” They both worked on court Friday, but their statuses have not been determined for Monday’s game in Charlotte. Seven days until the next Hornets game, though, is a lot of time to recover. Kyle Lowry — back spasms — was a late scratch Friday. Without Martin, Kelly Oubre and KJ Martin have stepped up. Oubre has eight straight double-figures games, averaging 12.8 points per at a 40 percent 3-point shooting clip and 51.3 field goal percentage. KJ Martin is shooting 68 percent and averaging 12.2 ppg over his last six games while supplying a defensive spark.