The 76ers played like a team facing the second game of a back-to-back without their best player.
With Joel Embiid out due to left knee recovery, the spry and young Memphis Grizzlies ran the Sixers ragged when they weren’t shooting the lights out of the Wells Fargo Center.
It all added up to 116-100 win by the Grizzlies, which was highlighted by a dominant third quarter.
Leading by 10 at halftime, the Grizzlies put the game away by outscoring the Sixers, 45-29, in the third quarter, a season high by Memphis for points in any quarter.
The Grizzlies shot 16-for-22, including 7-for-12 from three-point range, in the quarter.
The Sixers (34-16) were unable to take advantage of some good fortune earlier in the day when the Brooklyn Nets, without injured Kevin Durant and James Harden, lost at Chicago, 115-107. Like the Sixers, Brooklyn is also 34-16 as both teams continue to jockey for the top position in the Eastern Conference.
The Sixers had just come off a season-high six-game road trip to play two at home.
Embiid returned to action during Saturday’s 122-113 home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves after missing the previous 10 games due to a left knee bone bruise.
He totaled 24 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes, 35 seconds. Before Sunday’s game, Doc Rivers said that since Embiid had missed three weeks, it was an easy decision not to play him against the Grizzlies.
It all added up to one tired team.
“I told our guys this was going to be a tough one; you can just feel it in our walk-through this afternoon,” Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. “You know they are tired.”
Rivers had some early optimism that quickly faded.
“I did think the first unit started off the game with great energy and then the second unit came in and struggled,” Rivers said. “And, unfortunately, once that happened once we got down, we just didn’t have it, so I made the decision early to get our guys off the floor.”
Shortly before the game, the Sixers announced that Tyrese Maxey was out due to health and safety protocols.
“It’s just the protocol, an inconclusive test,” Rivers said of Maxey.
It’s doubtful that Embiid would have helped much in the Sixers’ three-point defense. The Grizzlies entered the game just 22nd in three-point field-goal percentage (35.1%), but through three quarters, they were 14-for-29 (48.3%) while the Sixers were 7-for-28 (25%).
The Sixers trailed by as many as 13 with 8:43 left in the second quarter and were down 52-42 at halftime. Memphis led despite a subpar first half from last year’s rookie of the year Ja Morant, who had just four points (1-for-6 shooting), three assists, and one turnover. Danny Green was the primary defender on Morant and made him work for everything.
Morant had a quiet game, but many of his teammates didn’t.
The Sixers received 21 points from Tobias Harris.
Both teams were supposed to showcase their transition skills in this game. They were the two leaders in fast break points, averaging 15.8 per game.
Through three quarters, the Grizzlies led in fast break points, 24-11.
Without Embiid, the Sixers started undersized Mike Scott at center and he was no match for Jonas Valanciunas, who entered the game averaging 16.2 points and 12.5 rebounds. He is the old-fashioned type center who does most of his damage near the basket.
Dillon Brooks led seven double-figure scorers with 17 points for Memphis.
The Sixers reserves, led by Paul Reed and newcomer Mason Jones, played so well in the fourth quarter that Memphis had to put its starters back in.
On Tuesday the Sixers return to the road to visit Boston in the beginning of a four-game road trip.
