The 76ers overcame a 17-point deficit to defeat the Grizzlies 110-105 on Thursday in Philadelphia, handing Memphis its eighth straight loss on the road. Here’s what you need to know:
- The 76ers trailed by four points with 1:26 left in the game, closing on a 10-1 run.
- Philadelphia’s Tobias Harris made a 3-point shot with 38.4 seconds remaining to give his team a one-point advantage.
- The Sixers then extended the lead in the final seconds, with All-Star Joel Embiid and Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks receiving technical fouls after a small skirmish.
Backstory
Embiid finished with 27 points, 19 rebounds, six assists and six blocks. 76ers guard James Harden posted a game-high 31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Desmond Bane paced Memphis with 25 points and eight rebounds on 4-of-12 from 3-point range.
Sixers gut out win
For the Sixers, there are two major takeaways.
The first is that they were able to come back despite shooting 40.5 percent from the field. Embiid had one of his worst shooting games of the season, but he also submitted one of his best defensive games with 19 rebounds and six blocks.
Down the stretch, Embiid’s rejection of Ja Morant summed up a Sixers team that didn’t quit despite being shut down offensively for most of the game. Despite not having their best offensive firepower for most of the night, they gutted out a win against one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
It was a strong start for a team that faces the toughest schedule in the NBA after the All-Star break. — Hofmann
Harden shines against Grizzlies
The second takeaway is that Harden continues to impress. While most of the Sixers struggled to score, Harden had 31 points on 10-16 shooting against one of the best defenses in the league. Down the stretch, Harden’s rebound and outlet to Embiid sealed the win for the Sixers.
If the Sixers get this version of Harden over the next few months, they become a much more formidable playoff team. — Hofmann
What they’re saying
“It all started with the airball,” Harris said about his eventual game-sealing 3. “And then the crowd’s ‘ahh’ and my teammates’ ‘ahh.’ And me inside, I got to shoot the next one.”
Highlight of the game
What a game.
Sixers close on a 10-1 run in the last 1:18 to win it in Philly.
The NBA is back. pic.twitter.com/9rUbDZ67F8
— NBA (@NBA) February 24, 2023
Required reading
(Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
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