PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers played without injured All-Stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and two key players. Memphis missed Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and, well, a seemingly longer list of injured players than those available to dress.
In a matchup of undermanned teams Wednesday night, the Grizzlies had the determination on the road in a critical moment to achieve one of their few highlights of the season.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had 30 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks, Jake LaRavia had 19 points and 13 rebounds and the Grizzlies used an 11-0 run late in the fourth quarter to rally for a 115-109 victory over the 76ers.
The Grizzlies trailed by 12 early in the fourth before heating up in the final minutes, much like they did in a Monday night victory in Brooklyn. One of the worst teams in the NBA, Memphis has won two straight after a five-game losing streak.
“If we don’t get the job done, it’s often fourth-quarter execution on both ends of the floor,” coach Taylor Jenkins said. “Make winning plays. This is the thing I keep emphasizing. Luckily, they’ve played the last two games and we can hopefully carry some momentum at home and play a little better at home.
The Grizzlies outscored the 76ers 34-16 in the fourth.
Vince Williams Jr., who had 17 points and nine assists, put the Grizzlies ahead 105-104 with a pair of free throws and they never trailed again. Memphis won its 15th away game compared to just seven at home.
Kelly Oubre Jr. led the 76ers with 25 points and Paul Reed with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Tobias Harris, in the final months of a five-year, $180 million plan, continued to decline as more was expected of him in the absence of Maxey and Embiid. Harris scored just eight points on 3-of-12 shooting.
“We couldn’t drop a bucket for us,” Harris said. “That was the name of the game in eighth grade.”
The Sixers played a second straight game without Maxey as he recovers from a concussion. Maxey lost his balance during practice Sunday in the third quarter of a game in Dallas and hit his head on another player’s knee. He left the game, but was able to come back and finish. With the Sixers coming off a loss a night earlier in Brooklyn, Maxey was expected to sit out, given the NBA’s protocols governing returning to play after a concussion.
Coach Nick Nurse said Maxey still had “very mild symptoms.”
The Sixers have gone a month without Embiid and there is still no timetable for his return from knee surgery. Although he and Maxey are clearly the biggest names missing, the Sixers have been riddled with injuries this season and an expected Eastern Conference contender is now fighting to stay out of the play-in tournament.
Robert Covington has not played this calendar year due to a bruised left knee and could begin on-field activities within a week to ten days. De’Anthony Melton hasn’t played since late March due to bone stress in his lumbar spine. The Sixers said before the game that Melton would be evaluated again in two weeks.
The Sixers started three players – Nicolas Batum, Buddy Hield and Cam Payne – who were not on the Opening Day roster.
They were forced to rely on guard Jeff Dowtin Jr., who scored 10 points in just his second game since signing a two-way contract. He spent this season with the Delaware Blue Coats of the G League, but played in 25 games last season under Nurse in Toronto.
The Grizzlies are battling injuries of their own with Ziaire Williams (hip) and Derrick Rose (groin) recently added to a long list of sore players that included Morant, Bane and Marcus Smart. Although the Grizzlies weren’t necessarily expected to contend for a playoff spot, injuries have wreaked havoc on their rotations and put them ahead of Portland and San Antonio in the Western Conference standings.
“These guys really held their own,” Jenkins said. “There is still a lot of basketball to be played this season. We keep reminding them: this is what is in front of us, this is our reality. What are we going to do about it?
FOLLOWING
Grizzlies: Host Atlanta on Friday.
76ers: Host the Pelicans on Friday.
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