Player grades: Joel Embiid, Sixers come up short to Grizzlies on the road

The Philadelphia 76ers continued the road trip on Friday as they took on the Memphis Grizzlies looking to bounce back from a very tough night to begin the trip against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Still short-handed as they work their way through the injuries, the Grizzlies offered a challenge.

Led by Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis blitzed the Sixers in the first half and they held off a late Philadelphia rally on their way to a 117-109 win over Philadelphia. The Grizzlies were constantly getting into the paint on their offensive end and they were getting in transition as well as Philadelphia couldn’t find a way to get into a groove.

Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 35 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, Tobias Harris added 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Shake Milton added 17 points and six assists. De’Anthony Melton added 13 points and six rebounds in his return to Memphis.

Here are the player grades after a loss in Memphis:

Shake Milton: C+

After Harris opened up with a flurry of points, it was then Milton’s turn to get back on track on the offensive end. He was another one who had a tough night in Cleveland and he was terrific on the offensive end in the first quarter. However, it was tough for him after that and he also wasn’t great defensively and it was a tough night on that end for him throughout the contest.  The Grizzlies were getting into the paint easily.

De'Anthony Melton: C

The former Grizzlies guard made his return to Memphis and he received a good cheer from the crowd. He then knocked down a triple in the first quarter. After that, he struggled a bit on the offensive end and he had a tough time defending star guard Morant who was a big factor in this one. To his credit, he was much better with his shot to help the Sixers put on a bit of a rally.

Tobias Harris: A-

After an absolutely miserable night in Cleveland to start the trip, Harris scored Philadelphia’s first eight points in this one. If it wasn’t for Harris’ offense in the first half, the Sixers might’ve been blown out in the first half alone. He was terrific to start the third quarter when he threw down a vicious slam on Jackson Jr. and his shooting kept the Sixers in it. This was a very good night for the veteran who entered the night questionable with a non-COVID illness.

PJ Tucker: C+

Tucker air-ball the first triple he took from the corner. He then missed a floater in the paint, but he had a positive impact in this one. He was one of only three Sixers who had a positive plus/minus at the half when the Sixers trailed by double digits. His defense was helpful in this one and he was doing a lot of the little things.

Joel Embiid: A-

After a few bad possessions to start the game, Embiid then kicked it into high gear. He knocked down a mid-range jumper, he then went right at Steven Adams, and finished a layup, and he then played phenomenal defense on Morant which led to an easy run out for him for 2. He was a consistent source of offense and he was smart with what he was doing which set the tone for Philadelphia on that end of the floor. The only criticism that can be said of the big fella on the night was an inability to keep Adams off the offensive glass. He had a tough third quarter as Memphis expanded its lead.

Georges Niang: D+

The offense was tough to come by for Niang in this one as he couldn’t get any open looks to fall and he wasn’t effective on the defensive end either. He was a minus-13 in the first half. He wasn’t much better in the second half as he couldn’t get a triple to fall which will happen on some nights. He won’t make every shot he puts up.

Paul Reed: D-

This was a tough start for Reed. He once again got into foul trouble and the Grizzlies were picking on him in the pick-and-roll game. They were getting to the basket with ease when he was out there and he couldn’t be too aggressive because of the fouls he picked up. He was a minus-13 in three minutes in the first half.

Furkan Korkmaz: D-

The Grizzlies are really a tough matchup for Korkmaz. He does deserve credit for fighting the way he did and giving an honest effort, but they’re too athletic for him really and it’s tough for him to make an impact. He had a tough time on both ends of the floor, especially defensively. He also needs to understand that not every pass needs to be flashy. It’s admirable, but not a great idea every time.

Matisse Thybulle: D+

The best part of this game for Thybulle was his defensive tenacity on the perimeter as well as his willingness to shoot the ball. His first look of the game was a tough 3-pointer that he immediately shot off the catch. He missed it, but the willingness to shoot is the biggest thing right now. Eventually, those shots will drop. He was the only reserve in this one who had an acceptable plus/minus at minus-1.

Danuel House Jr.: C-

Like most of the bench unit, this was a tough start for House Jr. as he missed his first couple of looks on offense and he didn’t have much of an impact on the defensive end either. He did make an impact in the fourth quarter when Philadelphia put on a furious rally to get back into the game.

Story originally appeared on Sixers Wire