Philadelphia 76ers Weekly Report: Keep Going

(Brett Davis / Imagn Images)

Game 68: Monday, March. 17th, 2025

Philadelphia 76ers at Houston Rockets

Final Score: HOU 144 – PHI 137 (OT)

The Sixers continued their final west road trip of the year in dramatic fashion. Despite Quentin Grimes’s best effort (a sentence that has been said a lot recently), the Sixers fell in overtime. They were up 78-57 at halftime but managed to blow it in the third quarter to the joy of all Sixers fans. What a dark time we live in. Still, the tanks need to keep on going, so every loss is something to be celebrated. 

What can be said about Grimes that hasn’t been said already? He’s earned every bit of the many millions he’ll be getting next. It’s come to the point where paying whatever Grimes will ask for may be difficult despite the many advantages the Sixers have to do so. Grimes splashed 46 points on 15/27 shooting, including 8/14 from the field. Oddly, his only shooting woes come from the free-throw line, which may indicate that his hot shooting isn’t sustainable. Still, what he’s doing as a Sixer can’t be ignored. 

Justin Edwards and Jalen Hood-Schifino also had good games for the second time in a row. Just like Jared McCain, Edwards seems to be a major draft steal. While he doesn’t qualify for most awards, his 9.7 points per game would rank fifth amongst rookies. Sure, he’s doing it on a tanking team, but most top rookies are. Daryl Morey has had his share of mishaps, but his drafting has been solid at the very least.

Game 69: Wednesday, March. 19th, 2025

Philadelphia 76ers at Oklahoma City Thunder

Final Score: OKC 133 – PHI 100 

In an interesting conflict of interest game, the Sixers blew out the Thunder, harming the Thunder’s chance of getting their pick. The Thunder attempted to sit important pieces to possibly lose, but you can’t out-tank the Sixers with a half-hearted effort. 

The Grimes-led Sixers can often keep up offensively from Grimes himself going off, but they do struggle on defense. Grimes is also not particularly careful with the ball, with a 4.3-3.9 AST/TO ratio right now, which is pretty horrendous for a lead guard. That really reinforces Grimes as a microwave scorer off the bench rather than a starter in an ideal world.

Edwards continued his late push to earn real minutes next year. It’s not uncommon for young players to look dramatically better in the final months of the season as teams try less, but hopefully, Edwards is not just that. He seems to have all the potential in the world. He was a consensus five-star coming out of high school, and profiled as a good athlete with a solid jumpshot, which is really all you could want out of a wing. His lack of production in college wasn’t what was expected out of him, but he looks like he’s realized something at the pro level. 

Game 70: Friday, March. 21st, 2025

Philadelphia 76ers at San Antonio Spurs

Final Score: SAS 128 – PHI 120

This was possibly a perfect game for the Sixers at this point in the season. They lost, which helps the tank keep going. They also had excellent performances from the three players most likely to contribute to the team next year: Grimes, Edwards, and Guerschon Yabusele. All three scored over 20 points efficiently. 

The hope many had for Ricky Council IV as a lengthy, athletic scorer on the wing has been superseded by Edwards. Council still has an occasional good game like this one, but it’s mixed with 1/11 performances that Edwards doesn’t seem to have. The jump-shot overall seems far behind Edwards at this time, even if Council is better at attacking the basket. For their role, the good athlete and good shooter are preferable to the excellent athlete and average shooter. 

After a good start to his Sixers career, Jalen Hood-Schifino has been falling down the priority list. He still seems to be a solid ball-handler, but without a reliable shot, it’s hard to justify him on the court. It’s hard to be a guard these days unless you’re providing some spacing, and unfortunately, JHS doesn’t seem to have that. Still, it’s a worthy project, and I don’t think there’s a reason not to play him.

Game 71: Sunday, March. 23rd, 2025

Philadelphia 76ers at Atlanta Hawks

Final Score: ATL 132 – PHI 119 

The Sixers finally completed a perfect week vis-à-vis the tank by losing all their games. Four out of four helps the tank keep on a-rolling. The same three guys who excelled last game had decent outings this time again, which is great. JHS took a seat next to Jeff Dowtin, who went 7/11. That’s all well and good, but Dowtin most likely doesn’t have the potential that someone like JHS would, considering he’s been in the league for four years and is 27. 

Regardless, the Sixers needed a four-game losing streak to fall where they needed to. As it stands, this leaves the Sixers tied with the Brooklyn Nets, with both teams behind the Toronto Raptors by just one game. That means the race for the fifth-worst record is still going on in earnest. If the Sixers do end up in a tie, a random draw will decide their fate, so every loss counts immensely now.

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Patrick Yen is a contributor on Back Sports Page.  He has written for NBC, SB Nation, and a few other websites during his journalism career. He has been the Back Sports Page beat writer for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Patrick, a graduate of Ohio State University, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but moved to Columbus, Ohio, early in his life and has lived there ever since. You can find more of Patrick on Twitter @pyen117.