As injury woes mount, Sixers look like they’ll need answers out of left field

As injury woes mount, Sixers look like they’ll need answers out of left field originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers’ outlook has darkened considerably over the past month.

Since earning a good, gritty road win over the Suns on Feb. 7, the Sixers have gone 5-8 and fallen into the Eastern Conference’s play-in tournament spots. Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe have all picked up significant injuries. Only Edgecombe is back in action. Paul George is still suspended. The trade deadline was unequivocally unproductive and Jared McCain is having a swell time with the defending champion Thunder.

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The 35-30 Sixers’ reasons for optimism sure don’t seem bountiful. At this point, it might be generous to call the team a long shot to win the East.

Perhaps Cameron Payne’s Tuesday night provided a bit of a blueprint. If there’s a path to reversing all the negative momentum, it likely starts out of left field.

Payne broke through his slump by shooting 8 for 8 from three-point range and leading the Sixers to a comeback win over the Grizzlies with a 32-point, 10-assist performance. He became the first Sixer to ever go 8 for 8 beyond the arc.

“My initial reaction is that’s crazy,” Payne said. “Like, Tyrese ain’t (do) that s—? Honestly, I don’t know. I just feel like, ‘Finally.’ I know I’ve been getting in my work, getting in my shots. … Hopefully, I’m turning this corner, getting back to how I’ve normally been playing. Hopefully, I can stay hot. That’s the goal: Stay hot.”

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The Sixers know the conventional routes to passable play without their stars.

Kelly Oubre Jr., who posted a season-best 30 points and 12 rebounds against Memphis, needs to be strong on both ends of the floor. Key rotation players like Edgecombe and big man Adem Bona must avoid frequent foul trouble. Quentin Grimes will try to duplicate his shotmaking brilliance from last March. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse will vary his defensive schemes more than usual and hope his team can convert turnovers into easy fast-break offense.

“He’s having an All-NBA season,” Nurse said of…

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Publish date : 2026-03-11 15:34:00

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