Short-handed Memphis Grizzlies stun Philadelphia 76ers: Jaren Jackson Jr. leads 4th quarter comeback

The Philadelphia 76ers were up by 15 points in the 4th quarter, but they couldn't seal the deal as Jaren Jackson Jr. had a monster performance to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 115-109 comeback victory at Wells Fargo Center.

Both of these squads are missing their star players, which has led to a disappointing season after coming into the year with championship aspirations. The 76ers are without their All-Stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, who account for 61 points combined. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are without key players Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Marcus Smart, which in turn is making them rely on their young, inexperienced players to play huge minutes during the season. Philly is still in the playoff hunt but they are significantly falling in the standings while Memphis is bound to miss the playoffs altogether.

However, a bright spot for this game was Jaren Jackson Jr., as he exploded for 30 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks. Jake LaRavia provided 19 points and 13 rebounds off the bench and Vince Williams Jr. nearly recorded a triple double, finishing with 17 points, 7 boards, and 9 dimes. Santi Aldama and Luke Kennard each hit 3 triples, resulting in 17 and 15 points, respectively.

Kelly Oubre erupted for 25 points off the bench. Paul Reed recorded 17 points and 11 rebounds with 3 blocks while Cam Payne scored 16 points. Buddy Hield finished with 15 points and it was a struggle for Tobias Harris, who contributed just 8 points on 25% shooting.

The Grizz improve to 22-41 with this win and would now hold the 6th overall pick if the season ended today. This down year may be a blessing in disguise for this team as next year they will be fully healthy with a young, talented prospect added to their depth. Memphis is on a 2-game winning streak and will look to keep that up on Friday when they face off against the Atlanta Hawks.

Philadelphia drops to 35-27 with this loss, falling to the 7th seed and sitting 0.5 games behind the 6th seeded Heat. It's a tight race in the East standings, as everyday the teams in the middle of the pack will shift. Every win is massive to avoid the play-in so losing tonight against a below .500 team is not ideal for the 76ers. They are struggling without their stars, going 4-6 over their last 10 games. Next up on their schedule is a home matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans.