Player grades: Tyrese Maxey, Sixers have long night in loss to Spurs
· Yahoo Sports
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers returned home on Tuesday to play host to the San Antonio Spurs looking to get back in the win column following a loss in Boston on Sunday night. The challenge would be a tall one--emphasis on tall--as Victor Wembanyama and Co. invaded Xfinity Mobile Arena.
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The Sixers entered without Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Kelly Oubre Jr. which made the matchup even more challenging. Throw in VJ Edgecombe leaving the game at halftime due to a lower back soreness and it made for a long night. The Sixers were blown out by the Spurs 131-91. Wembanyama had 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals, and six blocks while Devin Vassell had 22 and Dylan Harper added 22.
The Sixers were led by Tyrese Maxey with 21 points and eight rebounds, Cam Payne had 10 points, and Adem Bona had six and six rebounds. Jabari Walker added 20 points and six rebounds in garbage time.
Here are the player grades following the loss:
Tyrese Maxey: C-plus
The night for Maxey didn’t start great as he missed a number of shots he normally makes, but he did knock down two 3-pointers to keep Philadelphia within striking distance amid the slow start by the group overall. He also did a good job of rebounding the basketball and sticking his nose amongst the trees. The struggles with his shooting in this one hurt the Sixers in a big way as his struggles set the tone for a tough night for Philadelphia overall. When he did find a little bit of a rhythm, the Sixers were already down by a considerable margin.
VJ Edgecombe: Incomplete
It was a tough night for the rookie. He got to his spots in the mid-range, but he wasn’t able to convert on looks he normally converts and it led to a poor night shooting the ball. He had some tough moments defensively as well. The presence of Wembanyama certainly made a difference as it made Edgecombe think twice in the paint. Him leaving at halftime with a lower back injury was a bit deflating for this group.
Quentin Grimes: D
Receiving the start in this one with Oubre out, Grimes was unable to convert and knock down the open looks he received within the offense. He was aggressive with his shot so the Sixers will take that in a situation like this, but the lack of shot-making from him in this one was a problem.
Dominick Barlow: F
Playing against his former team, Barlow was unable to produce much. He played with energy, per usual, but he missed a couple of bunnies in the paint and struggled to be a positive player in this one.
Andre Drummond: D-minus
The big man was matched up with Wembanyama and picked up two quick fouls to start the night in less than two minutes. When he returned, he had some fantastic looks at 3-pointers, but was unable to convert on them as he had a tough night in terms of offensive production and he wasn’t able to help much on the glass either.
Adem Bona: C
Bona’s initial run was terrific. His athleticism was a big difference as he protected the rim with ferocity and had some tough finishes in the paint through contact as he gave the Sixers a big spark in the battle in the paint. However, that spark was not alive for much longer as the Spurs handled their business.
Cam Payne: C-plus
Payne knocked down two big triples in his initial stint as he was part of the bench brigade giving this team a lift. The Spurs were shooting at a high clip and found a rhythm early as they threatened to build a big lead, but the second unit provided a lift for this group. He did a lot of good things for the Sixers on both ends of the floor as he was able to make a big impact.
Justin Edwards: C
Getting some extensive playing time in this one with Oubre out, Edwards knocked down two triples in his initial stint and gave this group a big boost. The starting unit got off to a slow start and the shooting that Edwards brought to the table was a big lift. However, that lift in the early going wasn’t enough to sustain throughout the night.
Trendon Watford: C-minus
The Sixers needed some ball-handling in this one and Watford gave it. He made some plays with his passing and got the team organized from that standpoint, but he also missed some open looks including a couple of 3s when the Spurs sagged off him. He did have some nice floaters so that is a positive for him.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Tyrese Maxey, Sixers have long night in loss to Spurs