Quentin Grimes scored a career-high 44 points on 18-of-24 shooting as the Philadelphia 76ers snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 126-119 home victory over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.
Guerschon Yabusele made five 3-pointers en route to 18 points for Philadelphia, which played its first game since announcing that Joel Embiid (knee) would miss the remainder of the season.
Kelly Oubre Jr. had 20 points for the Sixers and Paul George scored 17, while Tyrese Maxey dished out 11 assists while shooting 2-of-14 for five points.
Stephen Curry recorded 29 points and 13 assists to pace the Warriors, who had won their previous five games. Golden State played without Jimmy Butler (back) for the first time since acquiring him in a trade with the Miami Heat last month.
Amid an offensive explosion by Grimes, the Sixers led by 13 points early in the fourth quarter.
Golden State rattled off nine straight points to get within 109-108. Included in that burst was a transition dunk by Curry — his first slam in more than six years.
However, Yabusele hit a big 3-pointer with just over four minutes left then made another with a minute and a half remaining to put Philadelphia ahead 121-116.
George provided the dagger with a pull-up jumper with 42 seconds left.
Curry and Grimes each scored 12 first-quarter points as the teams were tied at 30 after one period.
Philadelphia began to create some separation late in the second quarter as Oubre scored nine points in less than a minute to help the hosts take a 50-39 lead. The Sixers went on to lead 67-55 at halftime as Grimes drained a 3-pointer at the second-quarter buzzer.
Grimes then erupted for 18 points in the third quarter, and it could have been more had he not gone 1-of-5 from the free throw line. He scored 10 quick points early in the third to help the Sixers take their largest lead, 79-64.
Curry and the Warriors whittled their deficit to within 94-90 late in the third before Grimes’ bucket sent the Sixers into the final period with a six-point cushion.
–Field Level Media
