Grizzlies lead by as many as 17 points in road loss to the 76ers
Ja Morant didn't make his first field goal until the third quarter, and Jaren Jackson Jr. was having a bad shooting night. Usually when this happens, it can spell bad news for the Memphis Grizzlies, but they found themselves leading by 11 points halfway through the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Memphis led most of Thursday night at Wells Fargo Center, but the 76ers rallied back to tie the game with 3:03 left in the fourth quarter, and a Tobias Harris 3pointer in the final minute compounded with a Joel Embiid breakaway dunk gave the 76ers a three-point lead with 23.3 seconds remaining.
Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane got two 3-point attempts on the next possession, but he missed both. Old issues resurfaced as the Grizzlies fell to the 76ers.
Bane led the Grizzlies with 25 points. Morant shot 3-for-16 while scoring 15 points, and Jackson finished 5-for-16 with 18 points.
James Harden led the 76ers with 31 points. The 76ers (39-19) have won five games in a row, while the Grizzlies (35-23) dropped their eighth straight road game.
Here are some takeaways from the game.
Containing Joel Embiid without Steven Adams
It seemed like every time Embiid took a dribble or turned over one of his shoulders, a pack of Grizzlies defenders surrounded him like bees on honey. Embiid, the NBA'S second-leading scorer, struggled to get comfortable and easy looks. He shot 2-for-14 in the first half, but Embiid found other ways to make his impact felt. He was a terror on defense with six blocks, and he dominated on the glass. Embiid finished 7-for-25 shooting with 27 points.
Desmond Bane catches fire early, cools off late
Bane decided to miss out on NBA Allstar Weekend to stay home and spend time with his son. The decision looked like time well spent in his first action after the All-star break. Bane nearly outscored the 76ers in the first quarter and finished with 21 points and four made 3-pointers in the first half. All of his made 3-pointers
came in a scorching hot first quarter where he didn't leave the floor.
Memphis needed that scoring punch since it helped them build a 17-pont lead. The offense wasn't as efficient for the remainder of the game, and the 76ers hung around until making their final run late in the fourth quarter. Bane made four of his first five 3-pointers, but he missed his last seven attempts.
Defense wins the game
Whether it was meeting Embiid at the
rim for a highlight block or chasing down Tyrese Maxey's layup attempt *in the fourth quarter, Jackson was everywhere on defense.
He finished with four blocks. Along with Jackson, Memphis used a defensive scheme centered around containing Embiid and James Harden, but that wasn't enough.
De'anthony Melton did a solid job of guarding Morant most of the night, then Embiid protected the rim when Morant attacked late in the game.
What's next
The Grizzlies' chances at the No. 1 seed are slim, but any hopes starts with winning the two remaining matchups against the Denver Nuggets.
Memphis will host Denver on Saturday at Fedexforum. The Nuggets won the first meeting in December, but both teams should look different this time around. Memphis was without Bane in that matchup, but the Nuggets played without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.