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Sixers Bell Ringer: Career night from Cam Payne leads Sixers over Grizzlies

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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 10: Kelly Oubre Jr. #9 hugs Cameron Payne #20 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 10, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 22
Joel Embiid – 9
VJ Edgecombe – 9
Paul George – 6
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 4
Jared McCain :’( – 3
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Justin Edwards – 2
Jabari Walker – 1
MarJon Beauchamp – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1


It’s hard to think of a team that needed a win for a morale boost quite like the Philadelphia 76ers.

Fortunately, they got it on Tuesday, coming from behind to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 139-129 in South Philadelphia.

Tipoff came less than a half hour after it was confirmed by the team that Tyrese Maxey has a tendon injury in his pinky and will be reevaluated in three weeks. Joel Embiid (oblique) and Paul George (suspension) are also still sidelined… so I’m sure the mental status of everyone on the roster was just stellar going into this one.

At least rookie VJ Edgecombe returned for the contest after a three-game hiatus due to a lumbar contusion from a hard fall taken in a game last week. He didn’t seem to be in any pain on Tuesday, getting back to work with physicality and even a nice soaring dunk at one point.

Though the Sixers were being a bit outmatched for some of this, it didn’t stop them from getting energetic for the second half comeback. After once trailing the Grizzlies by 14 points in the third, the shorthanded Philadelphia squad battled back, outscoring the visitors 41-25 in the final frame to grab the victory at home. And, it all included some excellent individual performances, which we will get to below!

The Sixers will now have a day off on Wednesday before hitting the road again — this time to visit the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.

Until then, let’s get to the Bell Ringer.

Kelly Oubre Jr.: 31 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block

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It was good to see Kelly Oubre Jr. start this one off strong after a tough game for him on Monday that saw him pick up quick fouls and rendered him pretty much irrelevant for the rest of the contest (he only played 13 minutes). He looked much different on Tuesday. Oubre hit a triple on the first possession of the game and got more physically involved from there, starting to drive straight into the Grizzlies defense and finishing at the rim more often, helping him score 11 points in his first nine minutes.

It was far from his most efficient night shooting, especially the jumper, with Oubre going just 10-for-24 from the floor and 1-for-9 from long range. That being said, he kept doing what did work, which was using his speed and agility to go through traffic to the bucket whenever he could, scoring there and drawing more than a few fouls out of the Grizzlies in the process. He was making the right cuts off the ball and simply kept taking advantage of the right opportunities with his aggressive drives. Oubre even made some really good plays defensively, especially down the stretch.

He was also by far the best rebounder the Sixers had tonight, leading Philadelphia with 12 boards and trailing only Memphis’ Cedric Coward, who led the field with 16.

Oubre finished this one with a 31-point, 12-rebound double-double. He also had one assist, two steals and a block.

Oubre with nine points in the first on 3-4 FG so far 🔥 pic.twitter.com/CUUEtHUEdB

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) March 10, 2026
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Cam Payne: 32 points (8-for-8 triples), 3 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks

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After scoring just two points on free throws in a the last few minutes of the first quarter when he was subbed in, Cam Payne exploded in the second. The second-time Sixer scored 11 straight points (including three triples) for Philadelphia across two minutes early in the second and chipped in another three later in the frame as well to round out his perfect 5-for-5 field goal, 4-for-4 from long range period. And that’s not even mentioning the defensive plays made in-between all the scoring. He finished the first half with 16 points, one rebound, three assists, a steal and two blocks — all in 12 minutes off the bench.

He wasn’t done. Though he did miss one two-point field goal, Payne stayed red hot from long range. And by red hot, I mean perfect. Payne tied his career-high for triples (seven) on seven attempts with over six minutes left in the fourth. He sank one more to simultaneously set new career marks in both triples (eight now) and points (32). This was Payne’s first +30-point game in his career — and he’s in his 11th NBA season.

Couldn’t have come at a better time if you ask me!

Payne finished this one with 32 points on 9-for-10 field goal shooting, 8-for-8 shooting from long range, three rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and two blocks in 30 minutes off the bench.

Cam Payne. The first +30-point game of his career (in his 11th season). A perfect 8-for-8 from long range, 9-for-10 from floor.

32 PTS (career-high), 8 triples (career-high), 3 REB, 10 AST, 3 STL, 2 BLK in Sixers-Grizzlies

Here's every bucket from Payne's near-perfect night 👇 pic.twitter.com/oKaKMogj06

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) March 11, 2026
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VJ Edgecombe: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals

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After three games sidelined due to a lumbar contusion, VJ Edgecombe was back in the lineup on Tuesday night. His shot was a bit off at times, especially from long range — something one might expect after missing a week of game action — but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to find ways to chip in from the jump, even if it just meant getting himself to the free throw line early while he got into the groove of the game.

Edgecombe seemed to really settle in more and more as the contest went on — another thing one might expect after a week off. The rookie was absolutely hustling, using everything in his bag to help facilitate and contribute to the Sixers’ comeback in the second half of this one. Considering the lineup he was playing in and the leadership role he was tasked with tonight, I’m not sure you could have asked for a more encouraging injury return from the rookie.

Edgecombe finished Tuesday with 21 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Certainly looks like VJ Edgecombe's back is feeling better! 💪 pic.twitter.com/7M6YJ8RDFi

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) March 10, 2026
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Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...-grizzlies-cam-payne-vj-edgecombe-kelly-oubre
 
Kelly Oubre Jr. suffers LCL sprain in left elbow

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 10: Kelly Oubre Jr. #9 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 10, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Good lord, these hits just do not stop coming.

A day after their win over the Memphis Grizzlies, the Sixers announced that Kelly Oubre Jr. suffered an LCL sprain in his left elbow. He will be reevaluated in approximately two weeks with updates to follow, per the team.

The injury occurred early in the second half of that win when Oubre was fouled on a drive and hit the deck. He didn’t come out of the game for any time, finishing with 31 points and 12 rebounds. Oubre wore a sleeve over his left arm in his postgame press conference. When asked, he told reporters that his arm was feeling OK, but clearly the MRI he underwent the following day showed that it needed more attention.

As if this team wasn’t in enough danger with the injuries that are piling up. They needed every bit of those 31 points to take down a tanking Grizzlies team. Now they try to fight for playoff positioning with 14.7 points per game sidelined as well as all of their max contract players.

Of course their first test of this is about as hard as it gets. The Sixers next opponent is the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons.

They may be without more than just Oubre and the stars as well. Adem Bona has also been added to the injury report, he is questionable with back soreness.

Injury report for tomorrow @ DET:

OUT: Joel Embiid (right oblique strain), Tyrese Maxey (right finger tendon injury), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left elbow sprain)

QUESTIONABLE: Adem Bona (back soreness) https://t.co/JfUoPLwb9s

— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) March 11, 2026
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So it’s not just possible that the only available starter for the Sixers in that one is a 20-year old rookie, but Andre Drummond could be their only available center as well. Not great Bob!
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Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...lly-oubre-jr-suffers-lcl-sprain-in-left-elbow
 
A vindicating night in a crazy year for Cameron Payne

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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 10: Trendon Watford #12 dumps water on Cameron Payne #20 of the Philadelphia 76ers after the 139-129 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 10, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Sixers snapping their three-game losing streak was thanks in large part to Cam Payne dropping a new career-high 32 points, carrying them over the tanking Memphis Grizzlies.

As a league-wide story it was already overshadowed by someone scoring the second-most points in a single NBA game. Bam Adebayo knocked Kobe Bryant down the list with an 83-point performance against the Washington Wizards. Payne wasn’t going to let that rain on his parade though.

“I was worried about Cam Payne honestly,” he said at the podium after the game. “I’m like, ‘Man, Bam can’t take my night.‘”

Payne of course had no problem shouting out Adebayo for his historical performance, but he’ll still remember this day for his own personal achievement.

“Shoutout to Bam though,” Payne said. “I’m a big time Kobe fan, so that’s huge for someone that scored that many points in a game, but man, I’m taking it, this is my night. March 10, this is all me.”

It’s been a whirlwind season for Payne who started the season playing in the EuroLeague for KK Partizan of Serbia. The Sixers of course brought him in following the trade deadline after trading away Jared McCain and Eric Gordon.

It certainly took time for Payne to get his feet under him. Before having the night of his career he had been shooting just 20% from three since returning to Philadelphia. That was on Payne’s mind the night before as the team suffered a loss in Cleveland.

“Yesterday, I was talking about being efficient, and I came out and I was very efficient. So that’s big time,” he said.

Efficient is putting it lightly. He went 9-of-10 from the field and made all eight of his three-pointers. It’s the most made threes in a game for a Sixer without missing.

“That’s crazy, like Tyrese ain’t did that shit?,” is how Payne said he reacted to learning that stat.

This type of production was sorely needed for a Sixers team that is 20th in both three-point attempts and percentage.

“That’s a little bit special, but he’s capable of doing that when he gets going,” said head coach Nick Nurse after the game. “He has some nights where he’ll make four out of five and it seems he’s a little streaky that way but when he gets rolling he can do that.”

Proving he was still capable was just as big for Payne himself as it was for the team. He has a chip on his shoulder after not finding an NBA suitor last offseason.

“I feel like I’m good enough to play in this league, like that’s a really good monkey off my back to show people that I’m good enough,” he said.

Payne has cultivated a reputation of being a bench spark both in terms of intangibles. At any given availability he’ll say something to the effect of his famous “energy costs nothing” quote. Not only is he appreciated by his teammates for that, but it makes them even happier for his success.

“He’s had a crazy year to say the least,” Kelly Oubre Jr. said. “So all the work he’s put in, to grind his way back and just continue to be the same person who brings energy and is a spark, up or down, hit shots. It’s always amazing to see him smile and help us in a victory.”

Payne admitted he has to be more consistent to prove himself, but to Oubre’s point, it’s been a wild year for him. He mentioned getting to hang out with his two dogs before the game since he’s only just been able to move them back to Philly. Perhaps they are the good luck charm. Everyone should hope so, since the Sixers’ backcourt could use a lot of production from Payne over the coming weeks.
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Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...hrees-sixers-grizzlies-kelly-oubre-nick-nurse
 
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