NEW YORK -- The Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to the New York Knicks on Tuesday looking to get back in the win column and end a lengthy losing streak. They entered the contest on an 8-game skid and have been searching for anything to feel good about on the basketball court at this stage of the season.
With that being said, the Knicks are still playing for something as they look to nail down the No. 3 seed in the East. They came out with a lot of energy and urgency and downed the Sixers by a score of 105-91. Depending on one's perspective, this is a perfect outcome for Philadelphia as it continues to position itself for the lottery on May 12.
Quentin Grimes had 26 points and five assists for the Sixers, Adem Bona had nine points and eight rebounds, and Lonnie Walker IV had 11 and seven rebounds with four assists. Ricky Council IV added 15 points while Alex Reese had 10 and Marcus Bagley had nine and eight boards.
Here are the player grades following the loss:
Quentin Grimes: B
The night for Grimes began with him playing some point guard. There were some clunky moments with him at that position, but it wasn’t terrible. Once he slid over to the shooting guard spot again, that’s when he was able to get going with his offense. He moved well without the basketball which allowed him to get some easy buckets. He was stingy on the defensive end and did some good things in transition. While there is still some work to do at the point guard spot, he continues to play well off the ball.
Lonnie Walker IV: B-minus
One has to like the fact that Walker remains aggressive on the offensive end. His strength is being able to get into a groove on the offensive end and keep the scoreboard moving so it’s important that he gets touches. After a slow start to this one, Walker kept things going in the second half as he made some big shots in the third to keep the Sixers in this one. The Knicks are a physical bunch who can make life tough for anybody, but Walker was able to have success.
Justin Edwards: C-minus
There is so much to like about Edwards’ game. He did some good things in this one being able to force the issue off the dribble and get to his spot on the offensive end. He wasn’t able to convert on his 3-point looks, but he was able to get into the paint and make things happen off the bounce. He also did some good things defensively. Turnovers were an issue for him in this one.
Ricky Council IV: B-minus
The night for Council started with him knocking down a contested triple and then getting into the paint and drawing a foul which got him to the foul line. He did some good things in this one being able to help out on the glass and be able to make things happen with his passing. Efficiency was an issue in this one, but he had an overall solid game for Philadelphia.
Adem Bona: C
The Knicks used Bona’s aggressiveness against him in this one. He picked up two fouls—one of them offensive—in the early going in this one and he just seemed a bit out of control to start the night. He did some good things at times on the defensive end in this one, but it was an overall struggle for Bona.
Jared Butler: D-plus
The initial run for Butler wasn’t great. He did knock down a 3 immediately, but then proceeded to struggle with his offense and picked up three fouls in nine minutes. He did a good job with his playmaking, but Butler needed to ...
