Player grades: Big 3 carries Sixers to big road win over Grizzlies

1 week ago 2

The Philadelphia 76ers continued their road trip on Tuesday when they paid a visit to the Memphis Grizzlies looking to end their 3-game losing skid. The Sixers were not only looking to stop their losing skid, but they were also looking to earn their first win when the Big 3 of Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George all play together.

In what was a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair, the Sixers were able to walk away with a much-needed 139-136 overtime win over the short-handed Grizzlies. Maxey had 34 points and 12 assists, Embiid had 34 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, and George added 17 points. Philadelphia ended its skid while also picking up its first win of the season when the Big 3 plays. The Sixers are now 1-4 when they play and 8-12 overall when those three play and finish a game.

VJ Edgecombe had 25, five rebounds, four assists, and four steals, Dominick Barlow had 12 points and five rebounds, and Quentin Grimes had ??? off the bench.

Here are the player grades following the win:

Tyrese Maxey: A-plus

The start Maxey got off to in this one was fantastic. He knocked down a corner jumper to beat the shot clock, then took Grizzlies big man Jock Landale off the dribble for a bucket, had a floater in the paint, knocked down a 3, and then converted an And-1. He was phenomenal from the jump and made life miserable for the Grizzlies as there was no defensive scheme Memphis could come up with to slow him down. He was efficient with his offense, knocked down some tough 3s, and could do no wrong against this Memphis defense.

VJ Edgecombe: A-plus

The rookie guard played well in this one as he was able to disrupt things on the defensive end with his activity as he forced a couple of turnovers in the early going. Edgecombe was also able to put the ball on the floor and finish at the basket while making an impact on both ends. Three early fouls sent him to the bench for a bit, but he was able to return and continue making an impact. He knocked down a number of tough shots in the fourth quarter to help the Sixers build a lead.

Paul George: B

The 9-time All-Star is continuing to find his rhythm on offense. He was terrific with his 3-point shooting in the early going of this one and he showed off an ability to put the ball on the floor and force the Grizzlies to collapse on him and make decisions that open up opportunities for others. He has turned into a mostly reliable 3-point shooting option on the wing. He had some good moments in this one, but he missed some critical ones in the fourth quarter and overtime. The triple he made to give Philadelphia the lead in the OT session was fantastic.

Dominick Barlow: B-plus

The energetic big man continues to make a positive impact. He has such a high basketball IQ and was able to find himself some easy buckets in this one just by being in the right spots. He defended multiple positions in this one and gave the Sixers a lot of length on either end of the floor.

Joel Embiid: A-plus

The big fella picked up two quick fouls in the early minutes, but he had a good first stint. He knocked down a couple of shots early and made a couple of plays with his passing. He gave everybody a panic attack in the second quarter when he tried throwing one down off the backboard and landed awkwardly, but he did get back up and continue his scoring. He was able to put the ball in the basket at an efficient rate all night and give Philadelphia a presence. He continues to look like himself with every game. He was fantastic in this one with his offense, his rebounding, and his playmaking.

Quentin Grimes: B-plus

Grimes nailed his first triple as he continues to find his rhythm again. It led to a strong second half as he gave the Sixers a lot of big buckets in terms of 3-pointers and coming up with big defensive plays as well. This was a solid Grimes game.

Adem Bona: B

The Sixers turned to Bona as the first big off the bench and he immediately stepped in and produced. He always brings a ton of energy off the bench and Memphis had trouble keeping him off the glass in his initial stint.

Jared McCain: C-plus

It’s obvious that McCain is still trying to find his rhythm. His initial stint saw him get some good looks, but he was unable to convert on them at a high rate. He made a positive impact on the glass, but he had a tough time knocking down open looks.

Justin Edwards: Incomplete

The initial stint for Edwards saw him come up with a steal on the defensive end, but then miss an open look from deep. He didn’t play after his 4-minute run.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Big 3 carries Sixers to big road win over Grizzlies

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