Grant plays three positions in Paul George's absence

The ball swung from Russell Westbrook to

Terrance Ferguson to Jerami Grant. From the right wing, Grant drove to the basket and drew contact on the way up. As he landed, he tossed the ball in the hoop. On the next possession he drained a 3-pointer to cut the 76ers' lead to single digits in the third quarter.

At the time Grant was playing power forward, but that was just one of three positions Grant played for the Thunder in its 108-104 loss to the 76ers on Thursday. He finished the night with 23 points on 17 shots.

Paul George was sidelined with shoulder soreness, which left an All-Star shaped hole in the starting lineup at small forward. OKC had no obvious replacement. The Thunder added frontcourt depth with midseason acquisition Markieff

Morris, but its wing depth remained the same.

In Denver two days earlier, Thunder coach

Billy Donovan said he was comfortable playing Grant at small forward. Grant carved out a starting spot for himself at power forward this season, but he has played small forward and center at different junctures in his Thunder career. Donovan would be hesitant to use Morris in multiple positions so early on in his OKC tenure. Even with just one position to worry about, Morris had a lot to absorb since joining the Thunder at the end of the All-Star break.

The conversation was hypothetical at the time, but it became very real when Donovan rolled out his starting lineup Thursday. Morris got his first start in a Thunder uniform. Grant slid over to small forward to make room for him.

Grant played the entire first quarter, opening it at small forward and closing it at power forward. He subbed in midway through the second period as a power forward but closed the period as a smallball center. At halftime, Grant (11 points) and Westbrook (13) led the Thunder in scoring.

Donovan adjusted the rotations in the second half, playing Grant primarily at power forward. He closed the game at center.

Patterson and Felton appearances

Patrick Patterson made his first appearance since Morris' signing. He played 4:45 in the first half, matching up on Tobias Harris.

Raymond Felton also made an appearance Thursday. He filled in for

Dennis Schroder when he missed two games for the birth of his son before the All-Star break. Felton has played in three of the four games since Schroder's return.

BILLINGS/THE OKLAHOMAN] [PHOTOS BY NATE Oklahoma City's Steven Adams, center, grabs a rebound between Philadelphia's Jonah Bolden, left, and Tobias Harris in the third quarter of Thursday night's NBA game at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Philadelphia beat the Thunder, 108-104.

[NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN] Philadelphia's Jimmy Butler dunks the ball in front of Oklahoma City's Jerami Grant in the fourth quarter of Thursday night's game at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The 76ers beat OKC, 108-104.