The 76ers (35-26) are back in South Philadelphia, set to play a rare pair of March home games, starting by hosting the Memphis Grizzlies (21-41) Wednesday.
The Sixers will be playing the latter half of a shorthanded back-to-back, after falling narrowly to the Brooklyn Nets (25-37), 112-107, Tuesday in Brooklyn.
Kelly Oubre Jr. scored a season and game-high 30 points off the bench Tuesday - his second-straight standout bench performance, after finishing with 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists in Saturday’s 120-116 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
With Tyrese Maxey (mild concussion) a midday scratch, the Sixers’ starting lineup featured Kyle Lowry, Cam Payne, Buddy Hield, Tobias Harris, and Mo Bamba Tuesday at Brooklyn.
Postgame, Nick Nurse credited Lowry’s (14 pts, 2 reb, 5 ast) production in his first outing as the primary ball handler and vocal leader for his new team.
“[Kyle] certainly does a lot of directing,” Nurse said. “He gets us some key buckets. He sees a matchup or a play that he thinks is going to work, and it’s big for us.”
Joining Maxey in missing Tuesday’s contest were Robert Covington (left knee bone bruise), Joel Embiid (left knee meniscus procedure), and De’Anthony Melton (back; lumbar spine bone stress). Cam Payne (illness) and KJ Martin (right ankle impingement) started Tuesday questionable, but were made available.
The Sixers’ two-game homestand comes to a quick close Friday, hosting the New Orleans Pelicans (37-25), before heading back to New York City for a two-game set with the New York Knicks (36-26). That three-game road trip concludes with a visit to the Milwaukee Bucks (41-21).
OPPONENT OUTLOOK
The injury-riddled Grizzlies had lost five in a row before beating the Nets, 106-102, Monday in Brooklyn.
Luke Kennard led the way for Memphis, finishing with 25 points, two rebounds, and seven assists. He shot 8-for-11 from the field, 6-for-9 from long range, and 3-for-3 from the foul line in his 27 minutes of play.
The Grizzlies hold the No. 13 spot in the West, trailing the No. 12 Rockets and leading the No. 14 Trail Blazers and No. 15 Spurs.
GRIZZLIES INJURY REPORT
The Grizzlies will be without Desmond Bane (left ankle sprain), Brandon Clarke (left achilles tendon repair), Ja Morant (right shoulder labral repair), Scotty Pippen Jr. (lumbar disc bulge), Derrick Rose (right groin/low back injury recovery), Marcus Smart (right ring finger central slip tear), Yuta Watanabe (right wrist sprain), and Ziaire Williams (right low back/hip flexor strain) Wednesday.
Jaren Jackson Jr. (right quad tendonitis) is questionable.
TUESDAY’S TOP PERFORMANCES
Kelly Oubre Jr.
- Oubre completed his night with 30 points, six rebounds, and four assists, shooting 11-for-20 from the field and 2-for-5 from long range in a bench-high 36 minutes of play. He finished at a team-high +3.
Tobias Harris
- Harris totalled 18 points, a team-high nine rebounds, and four assists versus Brooklyn, shooting 8-for-16 overall.
QUOTE TO NOTE
Oubre on the adjustments he hopes to see Wednesday vs. Memphis…
“Forty-eight minutes of defense. Clean, crisp spacing and pace on offense. We can really get whatever we want if we do those things. But we have to guard our man, get rebounds, and limit them to one opportunity.”
FOLLOW ALONG
Wednesday’s game is set for 7:30 p.m. ET in Philadelphia.
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Listen: 97.5 The Fanatic
UNIFORMS
The Sixers will wear their blue Icon Edition uniforms, while the Grizzlies will wear their white Association Edition uniforms.
@SIXERS SOCIAL