The Sixers led the Grizzlies by 15 points in the third quarter Wednesday night and came away winless.
After a dismal fourth quarter, the Sixers suffered a second straight loss. The Grizzlies earned a 115-109 victory at the Wells Fargo Center, improving to 22-41 on the season.
Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 25 points. Paul Reed had 17 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and three assists.
Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. recorded 30 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks.
The Sixers lost Joel Embiid (left knee meniscus procedure), Tyrese Maxey (concussion), Robert Covington (left knee bruise) and De’Anthony Melton (lumbar bone stress). Kyle Lowry also rested after the Sixers defeat Tuesday night against the Nets.
A Sixers official said Covington is progressing through his rehabilitation program with the goal of beginning on-field activities within the next 7 to 10 days. He will be re-evaluated in about a week. Melton has “begun an unloading period,” the official said, and will be re-evaluated in about two weeks.
Memphis is also a very depleted team. Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart are among the Grizzlies’ key players on the sideline.
The Sixers will next face the Pelicans on Friday night in Philadelphia. Here are the observations from their Wednesday loss to Memphis:
Reed’s Outstanding First Half
Reed was back in the Sixers’ starting lineup Wednesday after a three-game stretch on the bench. He opened the match alongside Cameron Payne, Buddy Hield, Tobias Harris and Nicolas Batum.
While scoring the Sixers’ first basket on a wide-open three, Memphis found success early. The Grizzlies started 6-for-7 from the floor and quickly got into a comfortable groove behind the arc. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse used a timeout about four minutes after seeing Vince Williams Jr. grab a defensive rebound and drive through the lane for a dunk.
The Sixers’ first replacements were Jeff Dowtin Jr., Kelly Oubre Jr. and KJ Martin. Harris slid to the five defensively, guarding Jackson. The immediate results of this decision were fantastic. Harris contested a Jackson in-ball jumper, then came down and drained a corner three on him.
Martin then took over Jackson’s assignment and started off very well, hitting a put-back dunk and making a first three. Dowtin also hit a triple in the first quarter and the Sixers’ second unit started 5-for-5 from the field. However, the team trailed by six points during one quarter. Grizzlies second-year forward Jake LaRavia was the game’s top scorer after the first period with 10 points.
Ricky Council IV returned to the Sixers’ rotation, entering late in the first, and Mo Bamba checked in to start the second quarter against a Memphis lineup without a traditional big man.
Given the circumstances, Reed did a very solid job in Wednesday’s first half. Reed closely guarded Jackson’s attacks to the left and played physical, energetic defense. It certainly didn’t hurt that Reed hit a few jumpers either.
As is often the case, Reed’s activity was exceptional and he was rewarded several times for refusing to give up plays. After Jackson saved the ball under his own basket, Reed fought his way out of it improbably and converted a reverse layup.
A variety of offensive sources
Dowtin logged 24 minutes Wednesday in his second game as a Sixer.
When the undermanned Sixers needed someone to handle ball-handling duties, Dowtin stepped in and made plenty of positive plays. He recorded 10 points, six assists and three steals. True to his reputation, the 26-year-old has proven himself to be an attentive and responsible defender and a sensible decision-maker. These characteristics came in handy on Wednesday.
Oubre continued to do his aggressive scoring thing off the bench. He made a few bad mistakes — judging a few corner threes with his foot out of bounds, for example — but the Sixers were generally happy to have Oubre in attack mode. Oubre attempted nine free throws and made them all.
Payne and Hield both contributed useful scores and largely played the quick-decision, drive-and-kick style that Nurse wants to see, although neither provided what the Sixers needed needed in the home stretch. Each starting guard went 6-for-17 from the floor.
Harris struggles and the Sixers play a dismal fourth quarter
The Sixers bench reacted with a mix of disbelief and elation in the third quarter when Batum, 35, jumped up to slam home an Oubre miss to give the Sixers an 85-70 lead.
However, escalating foul trouble made it difficult for the Sixers to blow the game away. By the end of the third quarter, it looked like Martin and Reed would each commit five fouls. Reed asked the nurse to challenge his fifth, got her wish and was happy to have the appeal overturned.
Harris’ shooting struggles were also a big reason why Memphis stuck around. He fell to 2-for-9 from the field late in the third quarter with a three-point try that fell short.
The Grizzlies cut their deficit to 98-95 early in the fourth on a three by Santi Aldama. The Sixers were chaotic and sketchy in their initial efforts to stop Memphis’ run. Maxey’s clutch shooting or Lowry’s veteran savvy obviously would have helped.
Harris was booed by the home fans when he went down the hill on a fast break, then opted for a kick pass that was intercepted by Aldama. Hield missed layups on consecutive possessions, although Harris was able to tip in the second.
After the Sixers went up 104-100 on a baseline Oubre jumper, Memphis scored the next 11 points. Martin and Reed both fouled out, the Grizzlies dominated inside and the Sixers offense remained disjointed.
They weren’t entirely out of the contest yet — Hield made a three with 25.7 seconds left, which cut Memphis’ lead to 111-109 — but the Grizzlies made their late free throws and the Sixers suffered another disheartening shorthanded loss.
