76ers’ bench comes up big with overcoming jazz

Quentin Grimes scored 25 points, and the Philadelphia 76ers received a huge effort from their reserves in a 126-122 victory over visitor Utah Jazz on Sunday.

While Grimes scored more points than the other four starters combined, the Sixers’ bench poured into 78 points, led by Lonnie Walker IV (25), Jared Butler (15) and Adem Bona (14). Bona added 14 rebounds and Walker had 11.

Kyle Filipowski tied his career high with 25 points, but Utah still lost his 12th consecutive road fight. Keyonte George also had 25 points for the jazz, while Isaiah Collier tiled in 13 points and 10 assists.

Philadelphia played without Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, among others. Utah took the court minus key players such as Lauri Markkanen, John Collins and Jordan Clarkson.

Utah pulled by 18 to start the fourth quarter and with 22 with 8 1/2 minutes left before making a furious push.

George and Brice Sensabaugh each made two 3-Pointers to get the deficit down to 110-100 before Sensabaugh made another to get jazz within 110-104 with less than five minutes left.

The deficit was still six when Filipowski made its first of two 3-Pointers in the last 10 seconds of the game. However, Philadelphia made enough free kick (and survived a key playback) to survive down the stretch.

Filipowski scored 12 points when Utah led 32-27 after a period. Visitors led by as many as 16 points before Sixers scored the last 11 points in the quarter.

Philadelphia’s wave continued into the second quarter as the hosts opened the period on an 8-2 race and continued to dominate the period on the way to a 65-58 lead at the break.

Jazz came within 76-72 early in the third quarter before Sixers put together an 18-6 race that started with a 3-pointer of Grimes. Butler drained back-to-back 3-pointers later in the wave before Walker’s layup did 94-78.

-Felt level media