It’s difficult to imagine a game hosted by a team with a 23-54 being particularly entertaining, especially when they’re facing a championship contender. The contending team could thrill, sure, but a captivating game between two teams on opposite sides of the competitive spectrum; nobody would have expected it, but that’s exactly what the Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves provided.
Through three quarters, the Sixers and Wolves were within just one point as Minnesota held the 83-82 advantage. An incredible battle between Anthony Edwards and Quentin Grimes was the story during the fourth quarter as the Timberwolves barely managed to stave off the Sixers for the win.
What went right
What a player Quentin Grimes has turned into in Philadelphia. This latest 28-point performance — 17 in the fourth quarter — is just a drop in the bucket of thrilling performances. In 25 games with the Sixers, Grimes has averaged 22.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.6 steals. He’s been rather efficient as well, shooting 49.0/39.5/76.1 in that time.
The Timberwolves were led by one of the league’s young stars, Anthony Edwards, and Grimes kept pace with him through his fourth-quarter eruption. It may not have been enough to secure the win for Philadelphia, but it certainly should be enough to overcome any stat-padding claims.
What went wrong
The absolute last thing this team needs, other than wins, is another injury. Undrafted rookie Justin Edwards, the surprise of the season, left this game due to a rib contusion. After the game, Sixers Head Coach Nick Nurse told the media that Edwards had been dealing with a rib issue for a number of days and had previously taken hits to that spot. Nurse also said that Edwards was being examined after the shot he took in this game.
There have been so few lasting positives for the Sixers; Justin Edwards was one of the very last remaining. The hometown kid had been off to a stellar rookie campaign, averaging 10.2 points as a rookie, ranking sixth among rookies (min 20 games played).
The severity of the injury is obviously the primary concern. Hopefully, Edwards will be cleared with little more than some soreness and will be able to return to the court this season. With so few games left, it wouldn’t be a major detriment to his development to miss the final four games, but it’s surely not the ideal way for his season to end.
This injury news is continuing to develop.
Sixers standings update
It was a quiet night for the Sixers’ tanking comparators. The Nets and Pelicans both had the evening off, so the Sixers’ loss gives them a half-game extra edge against all adversaries.
The Sixers are currently just one and a half games behind the New Orleans Pelicans for the fourth pick and are now two and a half games ahead of the Brooklyn Nets for sole possession of the fifth pick.
Up next for the Sixers
The Sixers will next face the Heat down in Miami on April 7. The Heat are coming off an overtime loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on Monday and you can catch the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia or listen live at 97.5 the Fanatic.
