LOS ANGELES — The Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to the Los Angeles Lakers post-deadline on Thursday looking to keep their win streak rolling. Philadelphia entered Crypto.com Arena on a 5-game win streak and were looking to keep things rolling against LeBron James and Co.
The Sixers came out with a focused mindset and built a lead as large as 14, but the Lakers kept chipping away behind the play of Austin Reaves and they rallied to win it 119-115 to snap Philadelphia’s win streak. Reaves had 35 points off the bench to lead Los Angeles, while James had 17 points and 10 assists.
Joel Embiid had 35 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists for Philadelphia. Tyrese Maxey had 26 points and 13 assists, VJ Edgecombe had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Dominick Barlow had 13.
Here are the player grades following the loss:
Tyrese Maxey: B-plus
It was a slow start for Maxey as he was unable to find a rhythm with his shot. He missed some bunnies in the early going as well as some open 3s that he was unable to convert on. What he was able to was get his teammates involved. His passing and playmaking in this one was excellent as he looked like he was one step ahead of everybody on the Lakers. He was fantastic in so many areas with that part of his game. As the night wore on, Maxey was able to find a groove on the offensive end of the floor as he had a lot of success at the basket. The 3-point shot was off—which was a factor in this one—but he was able to do a lot of good things in this one.
VJ Edgecombe: B-plus
Once again, the rookie gave a little bit of everything. He was helpful on the glass, making plays for others, and scored when the opportunity presented itself. He also talked a lot of smack to fellow Bahamian, Lakers big man Deandre Ayton. The young man doesn’t back down from anybody and that helped him in this one as he mixed it up down low to help the Sixers on the glass. He also did a lot of good things defensively against LA’s perimeter guards.
Kelly Oubre Jr.: C
It was a tough Oubre game in terms of his offensive performance, but he was helpful on the defensive end. His length really bothered LA’s perimeter players and he did a solid job on James. Off nights are going to happen, but Oubre continues to find other ways to contribute and make an impact.
Dominick Barlow: A-minus
Now playing on his freshly signed standard deal, Barlow gave the Sixers his usual production. He ran the floor well, was aggressive on the glass, and made some helpful defensive plays for this group. There was a sequence when he had an impressive block before going the other way for a layup as he ran the floor well. He was also impactful on the glass, so another typical solid Barlow night. The big man continues to make a big impact for the Sixers.
Joel Embiid: A
After shooting just 4-for-21 in the loss to the Lakers back in December, Embiid made life miserable for Lakers big men Deandre Ayton and Maxi Kleber in this one. The big fella was scoring in the mid-range, finishing in the paint, and drawing fouls. When the Lakers then turned to Jarred Vanderbilt, the 2023 MVP winner then cooked him as well. Embiid was efficient all night long, was moving well, and dominated on the offensive end of the floor. There was nothing the Lakers could do other than hopelessly put a hand up and pray that he missed.
Trendon Watford: B-plus
The versatility Watford showed in this one is what’s going to make him so valuable to this group on the offensive end. He has an ability to handle the ball, finish at the basket, and make plays with his passing as he did in this one while running pick-and-roll with Embiid. He was a table setter for the second unit as he continues to find his niche for this group.
Quentin Grimes: B-minus
The wing continues to make an impact for the Sixers off the bench as he finds his rhythm again. He had another poster dunk in the second quarter as he put the ball on the floor and rose up with bad intentions. He did some good things off the bench in this one to contribute in a number of areas.
Adem Bona: C-minus
The initial stint for Bona included him finishing at the basket and pulling down a couple of rebounds. There were a few tough moments in the second half, however, as he contributed to the Lakers being able to rally in this one.
Justin Edwards: Incomplete
The second-year forward had a nice pull-up bucket in the paint as he continues to find his rhythm. The Sixers will need him to continue to play well as they look to piece things together without Paul George. He only played five minutes.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Joel Embiid, Sixers fall short to Lakers as streak ends
