March 15, 2026, 8:19 p.m. ET

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers played host to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday evening looking to move forward with their season. The Sixers were, once again, missing guys like Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and others, and faced a tough task against a solid Trail Blazers team.

Despite a 9-0 deficit to start the night, and the many pieces missing, the Sixers were able to dig deep and knock off the Blazers 109-103 for their second straight win. Philadelphia held its own in the rebounding battle against this much bigger Portland team and were able to grind out a win at home.

Quentin Grimes had a season-high 31 points for Philadelphia, VJ Edgecombe had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Justin Edwards had 21 points. Dominick Barlow added 11 points, Cam Payne had 11 points, and Andre Drummond added six points, 17 rebounds, and four steals.

Here are the player grades following the win:

VJ Edgecombe: B-plus

The rookie was unable to get much going early in this one. He had a couple of highlight buckets, but other than that, it was something of a struggle until he finally found a bit of a rhythm as time went on. He was able to get to his spots as the game wore on and then knocked in a couple of shots to get the scoreboard moving a bit. He was terrific on the glass, more than solid defensively, and was helpful in a number of areas. Edgecombe is just a winning basketball player. Even on nights like this one when he doesn’t have a huge scoring effort, he knows how to positively impact the game.

Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!Quentin Grimes: A

Grimes was aggressive early and often in this one. There were many times when he was able to put the ball on the floor, get to his spots, and be able to knock down some much-needed shots for this group. The Sixers, obviously, needed him to be able to move the scoreboard with so many pieces sidelined and he obliged. It’s becoming more noticeable that Grimes is relying more on his mid-range game as he reacts to receiving more attention from opposing defenses. It is another aspect he can use in order to keep the scoreboard moving for Philadelphia. He came up with some big buckets and got to the foul line often in the second half.

Justin Edwards: A

The second-year forward out of Kentucky started the game off with some much-needed 3-pointers to get the scoreboard moving. The Blazers opened the game on a 9-0 run and Edwards got going to get the Sixers on the board and to allow things to get moving in the right direction for Philadelphia. He was able to put the ball on the floor a number of times and score off the dribble which is a big help for this group right now. Combine his isolation buckets with his catch-and-shoot 3s, and the Sixers were able to get a solid night out of the Philadelphia native. This is probably the best stretch he’s had as a pro.

Dominick Barlow: A

Along with Edwards’ efforts, the Sixers received good production out of Barlow in the early going. Barlow came up with a couple of turnovers to help the Sixers go the other way for some buckets. He also had some nifty moves himself to get into the paint for some offense in this one. He was a menace on the defensive end all night long and did a good job of finishing open opportunities when they were presented to them.

Adem Bona: D

The Blazers are a tough matchup for Bona just because of the sheer size of Portland’s Donovan Clingan. There were so many times when Portland would just throw the ball into the second-year big man and he would bully his way for easy baskets as the Blazers found a rhythm early.

Andre Drummond: A

Making his return to the floor after missing a few games with back spasms, Drummond did what he does which is attack the glass and create extra possessions for the Sixers. He was solid defensively and provided a big body against Clingan. He was huge in the second half as he was able to have some buckets around the basket and he made some terrific passes. He was just terrific really on both ends of the floor. It’s the best Drummond has looked in a while and it came in a big moment.

Trendon Watford: C-plus

The versatile forward had a productive night. He was effective in the paint as he used his size to be able to make an impact on the offensive end and he was helpful on the glass. He missed a couple of 3s, but his impact in this one was his ability to score in the paint as he was a mismatch for the Blazers at different moments. The big issues for him in this one were his struggles on defense and the foul trouble he got into.

Cam Payne: A

The veteran guard gave the Sixers some good minutes off the bench. He struggled with his 3-point shot a bit, but he was able to get into the paint and come up with some buckets with his floaters in the early going. He plays with so much energy and he gave Philadelphia a lift in his minutes in this one. His offense was huge in this one to give the Sixers help off the bench.

MarJon Beauchamp: B-minus

It was a tough initial run for Beauchamp as he picked up two quick fouls in the three minutes he played which led to a quick hook. He received another look in the second half and was solid on the defensive end. The Sixers really needed it whenever the Blazers tried to make a run.

Tyrese Martin: D

The Sixers turned to Martin in this one, but it was a tough initial run. He had a good look at a 3, but he airballed it and had some tough defensive moments. He did grab a couple of rebounds so the Sixers will take that production.

Kyle Lowry: D

Even Lowry got some burn in the first half. Again, he didn’t do much in his run, but he was there to soak up some minutes. He did miss an open 3 for the only stat for his scoreline.