SAN FRANCISCO — The Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday looking to extend their win streak and keep things moving in the right direction. Coming off a win on Monday night in LA, the Sixers took the trek up the California coast to take on the Warriors on the second night of a back-to-back.
Despite Joel Embiid being sidelined due to the schedule, the Sixers had a huge advantage in the paint and on the glass. The Sixers used their strong play in a number of areas to knock off the Warriors 113-94 on the road and extend their winning streak to five.
VJ Edgecombe had 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists while Kelly Oubre Jr. had 15 points and five rebounds. Tyrese Maxey had 14 points, Adem Bona added 11 and seven rebounds, Quentin Grimes had 10 and five rebounds, and Trendon Watford had 16 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Andre Drummond added 12 and 11 rebounds while Dominick Barlow added 10 points and six rebounds.
Here are the player grades following the win:
Tyrese Maxey: C
The All-Star guard was held in check in the first half as the Warriors sent waves of defenders at him every time he crossed halfcourt. He didn’t get too many opportunities as he had to move the ball to open shooters to take advantage of Golden State’s aggressiveness and he wasn’t able to find a groove in the early going. Maxey was able to get to the free-throw line, which allowed him to get the scoreboard moving, but he was relatively quiet in this one.
VJ Edgecombe: A
After a tough shooting night in LA on Monday, Edgecombe put all of that behind him in this one. He was lightning quick all night long and got into the paint leading to a couple of easy buckets due to his aggressiveness and soft touch around the basket. He also was able to knock down some mid-range jumpers in order to get himself going offensively. The shots he was making in the third quarter to keep the Warriors at bay when they tried to make a run were so impressive. The poise he continues to play with is going to be a huge factor for him in the playoffs.
Kelly Oubre Jr.: A-minus
With the Warriors blitzing Maxey every time he crossed halfcourt, it allowed opportunities for others to step up and knock down open shots. Oubre was the recipient of a few of those open looks as he knocked down a couple of 3s in the early going. His overall field goal percentage wasn’t great, but he came up with a number of winning plays on the defensive end and on the glass to be a positive contributor.
Dominick Barlow: B
Once again, Barlow played with a ton of energy. He was helpful on the glass and was able to make an impact on the defensive end of the floor in order to find a way to contribute. He struggled with his efficiency in this one, but the Sixers will take the energy he was able to play with.
Andre Drummond: B-plus
Getting the start with Embiid out, Drummond did normal Drummond things. He played with energy, was aggressive on the glass, had some good defensive moments, and was an overall positive contributor on both ends. He set the tone in the early going with his work in the rebounding department. When Drummond is engaged as he was in this one, he is an important piece due to his rebounding and ability to make a difference in the hustle department.
Trendon Watford: A
The Sixers turned to Watford in the early going and he produced right away. He contributed in a number of different areas for Philadelphia whether that was scoring in the paint, helping on the glass, or making plays for others, Watford showed off his versatile game in this one. One has to believe Watford is going to continue making an impact for the second unit the more he gets comfortable and recovers from his early season injuries.
Quentin Grimes: A
The first half run for Grimes was great. He knocked down his 3s, got into the paint to make things happen offensively, and was active defensively. He bothered Golden State’s perimeter players with his work on that end and gave Philadelphia a big boost. When Grimes is able to pump in some easy buckets as he did in this one, he makes a difference because he already contributes in other ways.
Adem Bona: A
To use one word to describe how good Bona was in his initial stint, one would have to say phenomenal. He was like a pogo stick in the paint as it seemed as if he was just jumping out of the gym for easy points in the paint whether it be off a putback or an alley-oop. He also had a steal and slam in transition to give Philadelphia some offense.
Jared McCain: Incomplete
The night for McCain was a bit of a struggle. He had one corner 3-pointer blocked and then airmailed a wing attempt. He didn’t get a look after halftime.
