CLEVELAND — The Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night looking to bounce back from a tough loss the night before in Chicago. The Sixers had to battle through the adversity of having to travel the night before while also missing a number of key pieces and the Cavs welcomed back a couple of All-Stars.
The Cavs raced out to a 17-point lead in the early going as it looked like it was going to be a long night for the Sixers. While it was a tough start and they were unable to muster up much energy to start, the Sixers deserve credit for working their way back into this one and making it a game. Alas, the Cavaliers walked out of Rocket Arena with a 132-121 win to send Philadelphia to a 1-2 road trip.
Tyrese Maxey shook off a slow start to finish with 27 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds for Philadelphia, Trendon Watford had 16 points and six assists off the bench, and Andre Drummond added 13 and 13 rebounds. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 19 points and Quentin Grimes had 27 points and four assists.
Here are the player grades following the loss:
Tyrese Maxey: B-minus
The energy just wasn’t there for Maxey in this one. It was a tough start as he was unable to really get into any type of rhythm on the offensive end either with his shot or with his playmaking. He had four turnovers in the opening quarter and it was a struggle in the early going. After a stint on the bench, Maxey re-entered the game and had new energy as he knocked down big shots to get the Sixers back into this one when it looked like Cleveland was going to run away with it. He continued to attack and stay with it and he still ended up having a solid game. He fought through the fatigue to still lead the Sixers.
VJ Edgecombe: D-plus
There were good moments for Edgecombe in this one as he continues to grind through the early part of the NBA schedule, but he still has a ways to go. He looked like he didn’t have the same type of energy he normally plays with and it affected him on the defensive end of the floor the most. He had a tough time staying in front of the Cavs on the perimeter and didn’t have the same lift on his jumper either. It was just one of those nights.
Kelly Oubre Jr.: C
Per usual, Oubre played with aggression on both ends of the floor. He was getting good looks, but it just wasn’t there for him. The energy was helpful on a night the Sixers didn’t have much of it in the early going, but there wasn’t much efficiency to his game in this one on the offensive end. There were some tough stretches on that end for him. He does deserve credit for helping the Sixers get back in this game with his energy on the defensive end, though.
Jabari Walker: C
There were a few good defensive possessions in the early going for Walker as he was matched up with Cavaliers star Evan Mobley at times. He moved his feet well and did a good job of rebounding the ball. Again, short stints, but he was productive out on the floor when he did play.
Adem Bona: D
It was a tough start for Bona as the Cavs used their hulking frontline against him. While Bona brings a ton of energy and athleticism, standing at just 6-foot-10 leaves him at a disadvantage against the likes of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen for Cleveland. So, while there were issues in that area, the second-year big man was able to make an impact around the basket just by being active. Overall, though, the Bona minutes were not great as the Cavs proved to be a tough matchup.
Quentin Grimes: B-minus
Looking for a spark, the Sixers turned to Grimes early and he had a few good moments for Philadelphia. He was able to get to the line early which allowed the scoreboard to keep moving for the Sixers. With that being said, it wasn’t a great Grimes night overall. He struggles with his overall efficiency as well as his 3-point shot specifically, and had some trouble running offense for this group. He scored many of his points when the Cavs had the game in hand.
Trendon Watford: B
There is so much that Watford can do on the floor. He took control of things in this one with the second unit as he looked like he was organizing the offense and making sure the Sixers were in the best spot to succeed on that end of the floor. He was aggressive with his own offense, he was handling the ball well, making plays for others, and was solid defensively. The stretch by Watford in the second quarter really was huge to keep the Sixers in the game.
Andre Drummond: B
The Sixers turned to Drummond early after the Bona struggles, and he did some positive things. His size and rebounding ability was a big help for Philadelphia so those were the positives, but the Cavs scored at the basket early and often during his initial stint on the floor. Overall, he rebounded well for the game and he was efficient with his offense.
Justin Edwards: B-minus
There were some defensive struggles for Edwards against Cleveland’s guards, but his shooting was important in this one. He knocked down a couple of triples in his initial stint to keep the Sixers in this one while also being helpful on the glass.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Weary Sixers end trip with tough loss to Cavaliers
