The Sixers closed their road trip by beating the Jazz and had a fruitful Saturday in the standings.

The team notched a 126-116 win to conclude a 2-1 trip and move to 39-32 overall. Utah fell to 21-50.

The Sixers began the day ninth in the Eastern Conference and ended it in seventh. The Hawks, who swept the regular-season series against the Sixers, also sit at 39-32. The standings are tight between fifth and 10th and likely to change often before the end of the regular season. 

Quentin Grimes was the Sixers’ leading scorer in Utah with 25 points on 9-for-15 shooting. VJ Edgecombe had 22 points and 13 rebounds, a new high for the rookie in the NBA. 

Jazz rookie Ace Bailey had 25 points, seven rebounds, five blocks and four assists. 

Both teams had significant injury lists. The Sixers’ absences continued to include Joel Embiid (right oblique strain), Tyrese Maxey (right pinky finger sprain), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left elbow sprain) and Paul George (suspension). Dominick Barlow suffered a left ankle sprain in the first quarter, too.

The Sixers will host the Thunder on Monday night. George is slated to return from his 25-game suspension Wednesday vs. the Bulls.

Here are observations on the Sixers’ win over the Jazz:

Carrying over confidence

Both Edgecombe and Justin Edwards started with the confidence of players coming off of career-high performances. 

After going 7 for 11 from three-point range Thursday in his 32-point night against the Kings, Edwards canned his first long-distance shot. He also produced a couple of buckets inside the arc in the first quarter, including a slick spin move into a swished mid-range jumper. 

Before picking up two quick fouls, Edgecombe had a great sequence when he scored a driving layup and then kept a defensive rebound in play with a mid-air, behind-the-back save on the baseline. Grimes made a fast-break lay-in a few seconds later. 

Neither Edgecombe nor Edwards were as effective as they’d been last time out. Still, it’s clear both have benefited from the need to broaden their games while the Sixers are badly shorthanded. 

Speaking of injuries … the Sixers added another less than four minutes into the game. Barlow sprained his ankle on a drive, limped off the court with 8:19 left in the first quarter and did not return. 

Edgecombe injury scare 

The Sixers’ defense did not have a stellar start.

While forcing turnovers is usually one of the Sixers’ strengths, the young Jazz only had two giveaways in the first half. That was eight fewer than the Sixers.

Bench guards made major contributions on both sides. 

Cameron Payne sunk two straight three-pointers during a 10-0 Sixers run late in the first quarter. Kennedy Chandler was the Jazz’ top first-half scorer with 13 points. Chandler, who’s on a 10-day contract in Utah, signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Sixers in September and ultimately became a regular for the Delaware Blue Coats. 

Late in the second quarter, attention shifted to … an injury scare. Edgecombe went back to the Sixers’ locker room after he was inadvertently hit in the face by Jazz center Kyle Filipowski. 

The situation was worrisome — Edgecombe looked unsteady on his feet as he walked with Sixers head athletic trainer Kevin Johnson — but the rookie apparently avoided any sort of disastrous outcome. He returned to open the second half. 

Grimes and Watford efficient, aggressive

The Sixers used six players off the bench. Kyle Lowry was the only active player not in the rotation. 

Though Trendon Watford didn’t appear until the beginning of the second quarter, he started the second half in Barlow’s spot. Watford had an attacking approach and posted 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting, nine rebounds and four assists.

All of Watford’s points came on either two-point shots or free throws.The Sixers and Jazz each had poor three-point shooting nights. Second-chance scoring was a sizable advantage for the Sixers, who had a 26-6 edge in that department.

The Sixers found a decisive spurt in the fourth quarter against a Utah team that obviously has the NBA draft lottery on its radar.

Grimes made a tough mid-range bank shot and helped his team pull away down the stretch. He’s been increasingly dependable this March as the Sixers again ask him to create plenty of offense and treat just about every shot as a good one.