Player grades: Sixers take upset loss to short-handed Nuggets at home

6 days ago 2

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers returned home from a 5-game road trip looking to continue the momentum built on that trip. The Sixers dropped the first two, but then won three in a row in impressive fashion. They had a great opportunity on Monday as they hosted a short-handed Denver Nuggets squad on the second night of a back-to-back.

The Nuggets were missing Nikola Jokic as well as the rest of their starting lineup as well as their top two bench pieces. This seemed like it would be a walk in the park for the Sixers, but this is the NBA. Everything has to be earned. The Nuggets delivered that message on Monday as they walked away with a shocking 125-124 overtime win on the road. Jalen Pickett had 29 points, five rebounds, and seven assists for Denver while Peyton Watson had 24 points and seven rebounds.

Joel Embiid had 32 points and 10 rebounds for the Sixers while Tyrese Maxey had 28 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Paul George had eight points, VJ Edgecombe had 17 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, Quentin Grimes had 16 points and four rebounds, and Adem Bona had eight and six boards.

Here are the player grades following the loss:

Tyrese Maxey: A-minus

With the Nuggets having to pay so much attention to Embiid in the post in an all-hands-on-deck situation, it allowed Maxey to have a few open looks in the early going. Once again, he attacked the paint relentlessly and knocked down 3s while also helping on the glass and with his playmaking. He got going in the third quarter with his scoring ability as he made some impressive one-on-one moves to keep the scoreboard moving for Philadelphia against this pesky Nuggets team. There were some tough moments chasing around Pickett, but overall, Maxey was very good in this one.

VJ Edgecombe: A-minus

The rookie had some struggles in the early going as he had trouble converting on his open looks, but he once again found a way to contribute. He was tough on the defensive end as he bothered Denver’s perimeter guards and he made plays with his passing. Every time he attacked the basket, the Nuggets had to collapse on him which opened up opportunities for others and he made the right play every time. He knocked down three big 3s in the third quarter to keep Philadelphia in this one when it looked like the Nuggets were trying to pull away. He then made a huge 3 in the waning moments of the fourth and had some big plays in overtime. He is no ordinary rookie.

Paul George: C

When the short-handed Nuggets threatened to expand on their lead, George knocked down some critical 3s for the Sixers in the second quarter. He was a consistent source of offense for this group from the perimeter with Maxey on the bench getting his rest. He also led the way on the defensive end as he gave Philadelphia some important production during that time. Outside of that stretch, George wasn’t able to do much on the offensive end, but he was a threat and Denver had to pay attention to him.

Dominick Barlow: C-minus

The basketball IQ on Barlow continues to stand out. He got himself an easy bucket in the early going just by cutting to the basket and finding a seam in the defense. He also played with a ton of energy in this one as he gave the Sixers a boost on either end. Him knocking down a 3 in the second half was a big moment for him on the offensive end as well.

Joel Embiid: A-minus

With no Jokic to contend with, the big fella went to work against Nuggets big man DaRon Holmes II early and often. He was scoring in the mid-range, he went to work in the post, and made plays with his passing. The Nuggets had to send waves of defenders towards him to try and slow him down, and Embiid kept making the right decision with the basketball, whether it was a pass or a shot. He also was moving well defensively as he came up with some impressive plays on that end of the floor including a block of Denver big man Zeke Nnaji when he tried taking the big fella off the dribble. He did have two critical turnovers in the fourth quarter, however. Him getting called for the goaltend on the Bruce Brown shot late was a backbreaker.

Quentin Grimes: B-plus

It was another all-around game for Grimes as he hopped off the bench and stuffed the box score. He was unable to get going with his field goal shooting, but he was constantly getting into the paint which forced the Nuggets to foul him and get him to the line. He was helpful in a number of areas. He knocked down a big 3 to end the first half to give the Sixers some momentum. He had a tough second half at times as he had a few defensive breakdowns, but he also knocked down two big 3s in the fourth. Overall, Grimes had a solid night.

Adem Bona: B

Continuing to get the backup minutes, Bona played well in this one. His energy was infectious as he gave the Sixers a big boost in that area and he gave Philadelphia a real defensive presence in the paint. There were a few tough moments with the fouling, but the Sixers needed somebody to inject some life into this team in the second quarter and he did so. He had a nice night overall and had some good moments in the lineups with Embiid.

Jared McCain: D-plus

There were a few tough moments for McCain in the early going, but he did knock down a 3 and he made the right decisions with his passing. The Sixers need this type of performance from the second-year guard as time goes on. However, there were struggles defensively and he wasn’t able to make enough shots.

Jabari Walker: C-plus

The initial stint for Walker was a good one. He hopped off the bench, contributed on the glass and on the defensive end, and he finished a tough bucket in the paint. Walker does so many good things out on the floor as he produces in a number of ways that don’t show up in the stat sheet. He had some good moments after halftime as well to give Philadelphia a boost.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Sixers take upset loss to short-handed Nuggets at home

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