Three things to Know: 76ers comeback to beat Grizzlies showed playoff resilience

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Defense. Resilience.

If the 76ers are going to threaten the Celtics and Bucks in May, they will need a lot of the two things they showed Thursday night in the first game back from the All-Star break.

Their offense couldn’t buy a bucket for much of the game — Joel Embiid finished 7-of-25 shooting, Tyrese Maxey 6-of-18 — but they played strong enough defense to hang around within striking distance. De'Anthony Melton led a defense that held All-Star Ja Morant to 3-of-16 shooting on the night, and Embiid had 17 defensive rebounds and six blocks — none bigger than this one late.

JOEL OH MY GOODNESSpic.twitter.com/Fs9046Sh7m

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) February 24, 2023

“I always think two-way is better than one-way,” Embiid said postgame, via the Associated Press. “In those type of nights, to be able to have an impact when you don’t have anything going on offensively, I think is nice.”

The Grizzlies led basically all game, seeming to have an answer for any Sixers mini-run, and that lead was at a dozen in the fourth. But in the fourth, James Harden started to take over — he finished the night with 31 points — and Tobias Harris hit a couple of big 3-pointers. In front of a raucous crowd the 76ers played one of their best quarters of the season against a quality opponent, went on a 22-8 run, closing the game on a 10-1 run to pick up the win.

What a game.

Sixers close on a 10-1 run in the last 1:18 to win it in Philly.

The NBA is back. pic.twitter.com/9rUbDZ67F8

— NBA (@NBA)