Paul George exits Philadelphia 76ers loss against Memphis Grizzlies with left knee injury
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. had 25 points, Desmond Bane added 21 points and 10 rebounds and the Memphis Grizzlies set a season-high with 19 3-pointers in a 117-111 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
Jaylen Wells added 14 points for Memphis as Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins became the winningest coach in franchise history.
Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 35 points and 11 rebounds, but Philadelphia lost its fifth straight. Rookie Jared McCain finished with 20 points, while Guerschon Yabusele added 17 points.
Memphis, which led 115-100 with 3:15 left, had to withstand a late Philadelphia rally to capture the victory.
Takeaways
76ers: While the Sixers had Tyrese Maxey and Paul George back, Embiid got little help from the other two. Maxey had eight points and George added two.
Grizzlies: Jenkins passed Lionel Hollins for the winningest coach in Grizzlies history, and now has 215 victories.
Key moment
The biggest key could have been when the starting lineups were announced. For the first time this season, Philadelphia's three key players — Embiid, George and Maxey — started. Until Tuesday, injuries and league suspensions had kept the trio from appearing on the floor together. It only lasted until early in the second half when George left the game with a left knee hyperextension.
It's the same injury George suffered in the preseason against the Atlanta Hawks that forced him to miss the first five games of the season.
Key stat
Memphis had struggled recently from 3-point range, (33.3%) and Bane was among those having trouble going 2 of 16 from beyond the arc in his last three games. Memphis connected on eight 3-pointers in the second quarter with Bane hitting on three and 4 of 7 in the half as the Grizzlies took the advantage to double digits. A 20-9 rally to open the fourth sealed the victory.
Up next
Philadelphia hosts Brooklyn on Friday night. The Grizzlies travel to Chicago to face the Bulls on Saturday.