The Sixers, without Joel Embiid and Paul George, will host the Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night before embarking on a west coast trip next week.
After a few days off to ponder their miserable loss to a then 0-4 Detroit Pistons team on Wednesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers are back in action on Saturday hosting the Memphis Grizzlies.
The headlines for the Sixers continue to revolve around the players that haven’t stepped on the court yet, with Joel Embiid and Paul George still sidelined. They’ve already been ruled out for Saturday’s contest, but with the promising update that the duo have been involved in five-on-five scrimmages at practice.
The Grizzlies are fairly beat up themselves, with key players such as Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart out as well as smattering of other supporting cast members sidelined due to injuries. They will have Ja Morant, however, who is averaging 20.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 9.4 assists per game to start the season. Morant is looking to make up for a lost 2023-24 season that started with a 25-game suspension and ended after just nine games on the floor with a torn labrum in his right shoulder.
And he’s got a decent squad around him, even with the injuries. Memphis will have 7-foot-4 rookie center Zach Edey that may pose a challenge for a Sixers roster that is significantly smaller without Embiid on the floor. The strategy against him may be to try to get him into foul trouble as quickly as possible, as the rookie has been adjusting to dealing with bigger, stronger NBA players. Jaren Jackson Jr. has also been impressive for the Grizzlies thus far, averaging 18.8 points on 56.0% field goal shooting in four contests after missing the first two games of the season due to a hamstring injury.
Memphis enters Saturday’s contest at 3-3 to start the season, most recently handing the Milwaukee Bucks their fourth straight loss on Thursday night. Seven Grizzlies players scored in the double-digits, led by Morant with a triple double of 26 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists, to put up a commanding 122-99 win in that one.
The most promising thing going for the Sixers right now is that Tyrese Maxey seems to be finally settling into a groove shooting. After falling below 33% field goal shooting the first two contests of the season, something clicked midway through game three. In the third and fourth game of the season, he hit 44% and 48% from the field, respectively. It is going to be hard for this shorthanded Sixers team to do much of anything if his shots aren’t falling, so fans can hope Maxey keeps heading in this trajectory.
Oh, and this is also the last game for the next week that starts before 10 p.m. ET, as the Sixers will embark on a early-season west coast trip after hosting Memphis.
The Sixers and Grizzlies tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Game Details
Who: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Memphis Grizzlies
When: 7:30 pm ET
Where: The Center, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers