It was a promising Friday afternoon for the 76ers, which topped the Memphis Grizzlies, 90-83, in their first scrimmage inside the NBA bubble.
Tobias Harris led the Sixers in scoring, finishing with a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double. He also recorded two assists, a steal, and a block.
Ben Simmons neared triple-double territory in his 22 minutes, recording nine points, seven rebounds and nine assists. The league’s leader in steals pocketed three steals in the matinee, while playing primarily at the four position.
The fresh starting lineup of rounded out by Shake Milton, Josh Richardson, and Joel Embiid was productive from the start, taking a commanding 25-12 lead over the Grizzlies in the first quarter.
Embiid scored 10 in the first frame alone, in which the Sixers shot 50% from the field and 50% from long range.
Simmons dished out his nine assists and pocketed his three steals in the first half.
The Sixers’ defensive effort shone from the jump, as they held Memphis to just 28.5% (10-35 FG) in the first half.
“Defensively, in the first half, our guys were very good,” Brett Brown said postgame.
The Sixers forced 19 Memphis turnovers, including 14 in that first half.
With the Sixers’ starters playing more limited minutes in the second half, the reserve unit kept the Grizzlies at bay.
Matisse Thybulle didn’t miss a beat defensively, grabbing three steals, along with five points, two rebounds, and two assists.
Furkan Korkmaz and Alec Burks each added seven points, while Norvel Pelle contributed nine points, three rebounds, and two blocks in the game’s final minutes.
The Sixers ultimately shared 26 assists on 35 field goals, and grabbed nine steals.
@sixers social:
After over four months... there's nothing quite like a win.
Up Next:
The team will scrimmage again Sunday, facing the Oklahoma City Thunder at noon.