It was a matchup of the record books as two of the most injured teams in NBA history took to the court Sunday afternoon as the Philadelphia 76ers visited the Dallas Mavericks.
The Sixers have already lost Joel Embiid, Jared McCain, and Eric Gordon for the season, with the possibility that Paul George‘s season could be officially over within the next 48 hours. Meanwhile, the Mavericks have lost Kyrie Irving to a torn ACL. Anthony Davis — the primary return for Luka Doncic — was injured in his first game with the Mavericks and has not returned since. The team has also lost both of their centers, Daniel Gafford and Derrick Lively II. Both teams have seen an additional rash of starters and reserves land on the injury report, missing extended time.
The peripheral story was who was not playing. For most Sixers fans, it was an opportunity to work even closer toward the top of the reverse standings in hopes of the team maintaining their draft pick. For Sixers guard Quentin Grimes, it was an opportunity for revenge against the team that tossed him away just over a month ago.
On Feb. 4, shortly before the Sixers and Mavericks faced off in Philadelphia, it was announced that the two teams were in trade talks. The Sixers would acquire Grimes and a 2025 second-round pick—which originally belonged to Philadelphia—while the Mavericks received Caleb Martin, whom Philadelphia had signed during the offseason. For Philadelphia, it was an opportunity to both reduce their cap figure—as part of a larger plan to dodge the luxury tax—and recoup a high second-round pick. For Dallas, it was an opportunity to land a veteran wing on a low-cost multi-year deal.
Unfortunately for the Mavericks, Martin suffered — and continues to suffer — from a right hip strain. He missed nearly two months from January to March due to the injury and missed the matchup against Philadelphia due to the same ailment.
After missing the Sixers’ prior game against the Indiana Pacers Friday night due to an illness, Grimes worked his way back to health, rejoining the Sixers’ starting lineup in this game.
Grimes scored a team-high 28 points as he led Philadelphia to a 130-125 victory over the Mavericks, showcasing the three-level scoring ability he never truly had the opportunity to do in the past. In Dallas, Grimes was a 3&D afterthought. In Philadelphia, he’s been the only reason the team has won two of the three games the team has won in the past 18 games.
In 16 games with Philadelphia, Quentin Grimes is averaging 19.9 points per game, showing not just Dallas but all the other teams in the league what he can truly do. From more than a limited 3&D to a versatile scoring vall handler, capable of working on and off the ball for the greater good of his team.
Quentin Grimes is set to hit restricted free agency this summer and has done himself many favors heading into this payday. Hopefully, for the Sixers, the two sides will be able to finalize an agreement to keep Grimes in Philadelphia long-term, lest they be just like Dallas. On the outside, watching Grimes continue to develop into exactly the payer that need.
For now, revenge is Grimes’, and victory belongs to the Philadelphia 76ers. While the greater battle of the tank is chalked up as a loss by many, this is a game that Grimes won’t soon forget. For a player who could be a staple in the organization, having this type of positive memory while with such an otherwise frustrating team could impact his free agency process.
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