The Philadelphia 76ers (43-35) played a Memphis Grizzlies (27-51) team that was miserably riddled with injuries. The Sixers took care of business and secured a wire-to-wire win by a final score of 116-96.

Let’s break down the Sixers' matchup with the Hospital Grizzlies.

76ers player notes:

Joel Embiid: 30 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 9-13 FG shooting

The big man played the third game in his return to the court. He didn’t have great control of the ball and his burst off the dribble seemed to be a step behind where he tried to get it, resulting in a bunch of empty possessions and turnovers. But any time he was ineffective wasn’t for a lack of trying.

Embiid shot the ball really well and was again a hulking presence on defense, swooping in and contesting shots really well. He posted what could have passed for a pre-injury stat line (save for the massive disparity in assists and turnovers) in 23 minutes.

Tyrese Maxey: 7 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, 2-6 FG shooting

Following one of his best performances of the season, Maxey came back down to earth and was just decent. He somewhat faded into the background of this game, not asserting himself all that much in the 25 minutes he played. The best part of his night was how he and Embiid continued to generate chemistry, as he assisted the big man on three buckets.

Grizzlies player notes:

GG Jackson: 17 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 6-16 FG shooting

The youngest player in the NBA attacks defenses and utilizes his size like a multi-year veteran. His three-point shot wasn’t falling tonight but he knows how to score. Nights like these will help him sharpen his game before he gets the benefit of playing with Ja Morant next season.

Scotty Pippen Jr.: 22 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 9-16 FG shooting

Pippen gave the Sixers some real problems on defense. He's shifty and skilled, getting buckets all night with nifty footwork and pull-up shooting. While his size does work against him, the 23-year-old is a very solid player.

Game recap:

As the Grizzlies honored franchise icon Marc Gasol with his jersey number retirement, the 76ers looked to finish off their final road trip of the season by taking care of business. The final two away arenas that they'll visit before the postseason offered bad, injury-riddled opponents as they chase the teams above them in the standings. They had Embiid and Maxey play the first leg of a back-to-back despite being listed as questionable.

Tobias Harris (left knee contusion) and Mo Bamba (illness) missed tonight’s game along with Robert Covington and De'Anthony Melton. Meanwhile, this was the list of Grizzlies players who were active for the game: Jackson, Pippen, Brandon Clarke, Jordan Goodwin, Maozinha Pereira, Trey Jemison, Zavier Simpson and Timmy Allen. That’s just eight players, including four rookies. They had 13 players ruled out and rolled with their 48th different starting lineup of the season.

1st half

The 76ers opened the game on a 10-2 run with the Grizzlies defense only able to defend in single coverage. Kelly Oubre Jr. guarded Jackson, Memphis' biggest threat, as Memphis missed shots and allowed transition buckets. It was evident that Philly was taking the opponent lightly. Kyle Lowry picked up a pair of early fouls and the Grizzlies fought much harder for rebounds, resulting in one possession that ended on a fourth-chance bucket.

Embiid played deeper into the first quarter than usual, subbing out after a little over seven minutes. He was unable to get to his spots as he continued to work back from his injury, though he did hit a few shots and remained impactful on defense. Off the bench for Memphis came Brandon Clarke, its only active player who was on the team last season. Following him into the game later was Timmy Allen, who made his NBA debut and was greeted by Maxey. The All-Star got him in isolation and drew a shooting foul.

Buddy Hield drained a corner three out of a hammer set (using a flare screen to free up a shooter in addition to using an on-ball screen) and scored on a left-handed layup as he hoped to thaw himself out of a cold shooting stretch. But the Sixers as a whole struggled to hit their shots. Embiid came back in at the end of the opening period, drawing a shooting foul and then partnering with KJ Martin for an impressive defensive stand.

A section of the court at FedEx Forum came undone. Hield and Jackson tried to get it back into place by jumping into it and sliding it back. No dice, though. Arena staff came to fix it.

When play resumed, Embiid stuffed a dunk attempt and got back to the foul line as the 76ers went up by double digits. The Sixers had trouble hitting their jumpers, allowing the game to stay pretty close. Embiid and Maxey got into their two-man set, putting their defenders in serious binds and generating open space with ease.

Goodwin and Simpson set the Grizzlies' offense up and finished plays with smooth jumpers and aggressive finishes on the inside. Simpson is known for shooting sky-hooks and shot a few of them but didn’t score. Memphis may be past the “Grit ‘N Grind” era but uses it as a mantra through all its teams, so of course the squad was going to put up a fight — especially with the centerpiece of those teams getting honored after the game.

The 76ers went to the Embiid-Reed frontcourt to end the first half, embarking on a 10-0 run fueled by stout defense and rebounding. Embiid even threw a behind-the-back pass that actually made it to his intended target on a fast break.

At halftime, they led 62-42. Embiid had 22 points and 10 rebounds but also seven turnovers.

2nd half

Embiid rejected another dunk attempt, wagging his finger after the play. The Grizzlies were not only inexperienced but also found it tough to overcome Embiid's size on both ends of the floor. You may find it surprising to know that he drew fouls in the paint and finished a putback layup. The best player at stopping Embiid was himself, whose ball control remained not all that great.

Pippen, with his father in the building to watch, did a nice job creating offense for the Grizzlies. With his springiness off the bounce, feel for the floor around him and shooting off the bounce, he scored nine points in the first six minutes of the third quarter.

The Grizzlies were close to making a legitimate run when Embiid sat back down, forcing turnovers and getting out in transition. But the Sixers made timely plays to get the ball right back and score, keeping the lead in double digits. Hield came up with timely takeaways as Oubre charged ahead to score.

Jeff Dowtin Jr., fresh off a new contract and a strong performance in the G League playoffs, got his first minutes of the game late in the third quarter. He and Ricky Council IV started the fourth quarter. Each of them drained a three as the Sixers pushed the lead back up to 20 points. Terquavion Smith joined them later on as Dowtin got to cooking with four buckets in as many shot attempts.

Like old times, Embiid recorded a 30-10 game and the starters sat the whole fourth quarter.

Assorted observations:

  • This Memphis team has blown way, way, way past the label of Hospital Team. It's fair to call them the Graveyard Grizzlies with even multiple third-stringers and fringe players sidelined with injuries.
  • Embiid challenged whatever his personal record was for times falling to the floor. He must have fallen at least half a dozen times.

The 76ers will play their final road game of the regular season against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs tomorrow night.