Cameron Payne and VJ Edgecombe help the Sixers rally for a 139-129 win over the Grizzlies
Payne scored 13 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, while Edgecombe added 21 in his return to the lineup.
Cam Payne scored 13 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, rookie VJ Edgecombe added 21 points in his return to the lineup and the 76ers rallied to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 139-129 on Tuesday night.
Kelly Oubre Jr. had 31 points and 12 rebounds and Quentin Grimes scored 22 points for the Sixers, who were without All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. Maxey will be sidelined for at least three weeks because of a tendon injury on the small finger of his right hand, the team announced before the game.
Edgecombe took over point guard duties for Maxey after missing three consecutive games with a lumbar contusion. He provided the game’s highlight, showing his back is OK, with a two-handed, leaping dunk midway through the second quarter.
» READ MORE: Tyrese Maxey will miss at least three weeks with tendon injury to his right little finger
Ty Jerome scored 26 points for the Grizzlies, who have lost five straight and 12 of 15.
Jerome’s three-pointer with 9 minutes, 34 seconds remaining put Memphis ahead 115-107 before the 76ers took control. Memphis went without a point for nearly three and a half minutes, and Philadelphia scored 12 in a row to go in front 119-115 with 6:29 to play on Payne’s three. The 76ers continued to roll, with Dominick Barlow’s three-point play making it 128-117 with 4:56 left.
The Grizzlies’ frustration showed near the end, as Jerome was ejected for receiving a pair of technical fouls with 1:18 remaining.
Also sidelined for the Sixers were Embiid (right oblique strain) and Paul George (league suspension). Embiid missed his fifth straight contest, and coach Nick Nurse said beforehand that the 2023 MVP would be reevaluated later this week. George is a couple weeks away from returning from a 25-game suspension for violating the terms of the NBA’s anti-drug program.
Memphis, which entered seven games back of the final playoff spot in the West, had more players out (11) than in uniform (10).
The Sixers will face the Pistons in Detroit on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP).