NBA: Sixers close trip with late spurt, knock off Jazz

Quentin Grimes scored 25 points and VJ Edgecombe added 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 126-116 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night at Salt Lake City.

Trendon Watford added 20 points off the bench for the 76ers (39-32), who won for the fourth time in the last five games. Cameron Payne added 16 points and seven assists off the bench and Adem Bona also scored 16 points for Philadelphia, which played without star Joel Embiid (oblique) for the 12th straight contest.

Ace Bailey had 25 points and seven rebounds and Kennedy Chandler scored a career-best 19 points off the bench for Utah (21-50), which sewed up its third straight 50-loss campaign. Chandler made his team debut after being signed to a 10-day contract due to the Jazz being short on players. Utah suited up eight on Saturday.

Cody Williams and Elijah Harkless scored 15 points apiece and Bez Mbeng had a career-best 13 points for the Jazz, who have lost five of their last six.

Utah shot 40.6% from the field, including a shaky 9 of 40 from 3-point range.

The 76ers, who won two of three on a trip out west, connected on 50% of their attempts and also struggled from deep (6 of 27).

Grimes scored six points during a decisive 12-2 run turned a two-point deficit into a 118-110 lead with 2:35 remaining in the game.

When Utah crept within six, Grimes banked in a short floater to make it 122-114 with 1:36 left and Philadelphia closed it out.

Bailey and Chandler scored 13 points apiece as Utah led 70-64 at halftime. Edgecombe and Grimes each had 12 in the half for Philadelphia.

The 76ers used a 13-2 burst early in the third quarter to take a 77-74 lead on Watford's basket with 7:26 left in the third quarter.

Edgecombe later buried a tiebreaking 3-pointer to give Philadelphia a 95-92 lead with 41.9 seconds left in the period.

The 76ers took a 95-94 edge into the fourth quarter and later led by four before Utah went on a 10-4 run. John Konchar's three-point play gave the Jazz a 108-106 lead with 6:43 to play.

-Field Level Media/Reuters