PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 139-129 on Tuesday night despite missing players like Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Paul George. The Sixers are keeping pace with the Miami Heat, who are just 1.5 games behind them in the race for the sixth seed, and they’re looking to move on.
The 76ers were led by Cam Payne who came off the bench with 32 points and 10 assists, hitting eight three-pointers, Kelly Oubre Jr. with 30 points and 11 rebounds, and VJ Edgecombe who returned with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Quentin Grimes scored 22 points and Trendon Watford had 11 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists.
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Here are the three biggest takeaways from the win over the Grizzlies:
Payne makes history
March 10, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Cameron Payne (20) makes a three-pointer over Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson (45) during the second half at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Payne gave the 76ers a huge improvement in this game. With so much offense on the sideline in this game, someone has to step up and provide a real lift for this team in this area of the game. In this example, Payne shot 9-for-10 from the field, 8-for-8 from three-point range, and 6-for-6 from the free throw line. The eight three-pointers were the most without a missed shot in the history of the 76ers, which is also an important reason why the 76ers were able to win on Tuesday.
Coach Nick Nurse said on Payne Night:
I mean, 8 versus 8, okay, that’s really good, right? It’s a little bit special, but he has the ability to do it. When he gets going, you guys remember, he’s got some nights where he’ll hit four in five games. He’s a little inconsistent there, but when he gets going, he can do it. I think, obviously, I really felt it because a couple of them were really deep and kind of like, we were running a little double for him, a sort of sweeping two-screen set-up, and he wasn’t even in the show, barely on one or two of them, pulling behind them and making them, so he obviously felt it. I thought he made a couple other great plays on the break. He made some contact there and got to the line in a few key moments. We had pulled over and opened a lane for him to drive, and then he went down and at least either shot or got fouled. So, he played really, really well, and then we finally found some defensive schemes in the fourth quarter that kept some of those guys in front of us and rebounded some. The rally was tough tonight.
Edgecombe back on the floor
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 10: VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers vs. Jaylen Wells #0 of the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 10, 2026 in Philadelphia, PA. Notice to User: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that by downloading and/or using this photo, User agrees to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emily Chin/Getty Images)
The rookie guard returned from missing three games with a lower back contusion and had a very good comeback. He hit 7 of 15 field goals and 6 of 6 free throws while filling the scoring in a variety of ways. It was a slow start for him as he looked a little rusty, but the rookie drove inside for a dunk and then drained a 3-pointer. He was then able to figure out the Grizzlies defense and gave the Sixers a big boost. He needs to continue this form with injuries to the team’s stars. He gave an update on his back condition after the win.
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“My back feels great,” Edgecomb explained. “Thank you medical. Thank God. Thank God it wasn’t too serious. My back feels good. I’m able to move the same things. It felt weird running that fast the first time, but as time went on I felt back to normal.”
Darren Terry provides lift
March 10, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Tyler Hendricks (22) drives to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers forward Darren Terry (14) during the first half at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
People aren’t impressed when they see Terry only score five points and shoot 2-for-3 from the field, but he finished with 23 points in 21 minutes, 58 seconds of playing time. When he got to work, he produced an outstanding performance for the 76ers on the defensive end. He troubled Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome as well as physical forward GG Jackson II and others. His physical fitness and defensive work had a big impact on the 76ers, and he received high praise from Nurse after the win.
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“It was just a defensive decision,” Nurse explained. “We had a couple options. We wanted to get him on guard a little bit, and then we wanted to get him on Jerome as well. Again, I thought we found better coverage for those guys, and he just did his best. He just went through screens, chased and hit the ball hard and bothered him, knocked the ball away a little bit, like that. It was a rolling team, and he was part of the defensive team and even scored a few points — he knocked down five, hit a three.”
This article originally appeared on 76ers Wired: 3 big takeaways from the 76ers’ home win over the Grizzlies
