Quentin Grimes' career-high 46 points not enough in Sixers' overtime loss at the Houston Rockets

Keith Pompey, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Mar 18, 2025

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HOUSTON — We all know the 76ers no longer have any intention of producing a competitive product this season.

Someone forgot to tell that to the makeshift version of the Sixers.

They came close to picking up their second consecutive not so tank-friendly victory on Monday. However, the Houston Rockets squeaked out a 144-137 overtime victory at the Toyota Center.

Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun’s putback of a Jabari Smith Jr. missed free throw tied the score at 131 with 3.9 seconds left. After a Sixers timeout, Jalen Hood-Schifino missed a 18-foot jumper with 0.8 seconds left, sending the game to overtime.

Houston scored the first six points of the extra period for their first lead of the game before Quentin Grimes buried a three-pointer to cut the Rockets lead to 137-134.

All things considered, this might have been one of the Sixers’ best efforts this season.

Grimes continued to show why he was a solid pickup for the Sixers at the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

The combo guard scored career-high 46 points against his hometown team, marking his fifth game with at least 30 points as a Sixer. In addition to making a career-high eight three-pointers, Grimes finished with a career-high 13 rebounds.

With him leading the way, the Sixers made a season-high 24 three-pointers. Their 78 first-half points were also the most points allowed by the Rockets in a half all season.

Jared Butler added 21 points, while Justin Edwards finished with 18.

Houston shooting guard Jalen Green finished with a team-high 30 points to go with a game-high 13 assists. Sengun added 13 points and 11 rebounds, six of his boards coming in the overtime.

His efforts led to giving the Sixers a much-needed loss.

The setback dropped them to 23-45 and pulled them into a tie with the Brooklyn Nets for the league’s fifth-worst record. It also marked the Sixers’ 18th loss in their last 22 games.

Meanwhile, the Rockets improved to 44-25, extending their winning streak to seven games.

The Sixers had just nine available players. Grimes was the only one who hadn’t appeared in an NBA G-League game this season. Two of the Sixers — Oshae Brissett and Chuma Okeke — were only able to join the team via 10-day contract hardship exceptions.

The Rockets lost their cool in this game.

Green picked up a third-quarter technical foul for shoving Hood-Schifino. Then Tari Eason was ejected after picking up a foul with 3 minutes, 52 seconds left in the fourth for arguing with an official. And Fred VanVleet was ejected after picking up a flagrant foul 2 for knocking Brissett to the floor on a layup attempt with 1:13 left in regulation.

They had reason to be upset. The makeshift Sixers outhustled them from the start. Nor did the Sixers back down when the Rockets tried to get physical.

But the Sixers were expected to get boat raced on this night.

Paul George, who had missed the previous six games, was ruled out for the remainder of the season a couple of hours before the game. He had a procedure on his left groin muscle and left knee, which will sideline the nine-time All-Star at least six weeks.

This comes after Joel Embiid (left knee management), Jared McCain (left knee meniscus surgery), and Eric Gordon (right wrist) were already ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Meanwhile, Tyrese Maxey missed his eighth consecutive game. In all, the Sixers had 11 players sidelined against the Rockets.

As a result, the Sixers unveiled their 44th starting lineup of the season. They went with Ricky Council IV, Edwards, Brissett, Grimes and Jared Butler. Jeff Dowtin Jr., Hood-Schifinio, Alex Reese, and Okeke were the reserves.

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