Sunday in South Philadelphia, the shorthanded 76ers (34-16) fell to the Memphis Grizzlies (24-23), 116-100.
In the absence of Joel Embiid (left knee recovery) the Sixers struggled to find their footing on the second night of their back-to-back.
The Grizzlies took a 10-point lead into halftime, extending a 45-29 advantage in the third quarter that proved too steep for the Sixers to overcome.
Memphis’ balanced attack featured seven Grizzlies in double-figures, led by Dillon Brooks’ 17 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
Mason Jones (6 pts, 2 reb) and Ignas Brazdeikis (2 reb) made their Sixer debuts Sunday.
Key Contributors:
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Tobias Harris
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Harris finished with a team-high 21 points, plus eight rebounds, three assists, and a block. He converted on eight of his 14 shot attempts, and made five of his six free throw opportunities.
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Shake Milton
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Milton led the bench unit, finishing with 14 points. He shot 5-for-11 from the field and 4-for-4 from deep.
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Dwight Howard
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Howard finished with nine points, a team-high 12 rebounds, three assists, and a block. He hit four of his six shot attempts.
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Paul Reed
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Reed added 10 points (5-for-7 shooting) plus six rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block off the bench.
Up Next:
The Sixers are headed back out on the road for a four-game trip that begins in Boston Tuesday.
As of Sunday evening, the Celtics (24-25) hold the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference, and are 4-6 in their last 10 outings.
The Sixers swept their series against Boston in South Philadelphia earlier this season, winning 117-109 on Jan. 20 and 122-110 on Jan. 22.
Joel Embiid led the way in both matchups, scoring 42 and 38 points in the pair of wins.
Tuesday’s matchup tips at 7:30 p.m. ET.