Cameron Payne
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Cameron Payne sets a Philadelphia 76ers season-high for bench points in their win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
With Joel Embiid (oblique strain), Tyrese Maxey (tendon injury), and Paul George (suspension) all out for the Philadelphia 76ers (35-30) in Tuesday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies (23-41), someone needed to step up. Tonight, it was Cameron Payne.
Heading into a two-game losing streak and losing four of their last five, the 76ers were without their three top players. Payne used this factor as a way to implement his name in Philadelphia’s rotation for the rest of the season.
Cameron Payne Scores Most Bench Points by a 76er This Season in Win Over Grizzlies
Cameron Payne, 31, came off the bench and scored 32 points, adding 10 assists and three rebounds, while shooting 9-10 from the field and 8-8 from three in the 76ers’ win over the Grizzlies. It was the first time a player from the bench scored 30 points for the 76ers in a game this season, Adam Aaronson of the Philly Voice reported.
It started late in the second, when Payne checked in and replaced Quentin Grimes on the court with 3:23 left. He would only knock down two free throws in the quarter.
He would then go on to score 14 in the second and 13 in the fourth quarter.
Payne has played in just 10 games this NBA season after spending the beginning of the year with KK Partizan in Belgrade, Serbi. He would return to the States and sign a rest-of-season contract with the 76ers on Feb. 18.
The veteran guard didn’t get the start for an injury-deprived 76ers team on Tuesday. Instead, head coach Nick Nurse decided to play tall-ball and start VJ Edgecombe at the point guard position.
It was an all-around impressive outing for Philadelphia. Cameron Payne was one of four 76ers players to score 20 or more points. Kelly Oubre Jr. (30 points), Quentin Grimes (23 points, VJ Edgecombe (21 points) were the other three to do so.
Tyrese Maxey Injury
Someone had to step up at point guard for the 76ers tonight, and for the foreseeable future, after the news that Tyrese Maxey is set to miss at least three weeks with a finger tendon injury.
If Cameron Payne can continue this momentum for the rest of the regular season, he could be the next man up for Philadelphia down the stretch.
Maxey collided with teammate Adem Bona in the final second of the 76ers loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. The initial injury designation revealed that Maxey would sit out of Philadelphia’s next two games.
SM Highlights
Tyrese Maxey injured his hand on this collision late game, doesn’t look good.
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X-rays and MRI revealed that there were no broken bones in his hand, but there is a tendon injury in his right pinkie. It’s the same finger that resulted in the All-Star guard missing the final 22 games of the 2024-25 season.
This setback puts Maxey at risk of sitting out the rest of the regular season. If this were to happen, he would fall four games short of the NBA’s minimum games to receive All-NBA honors.
Philadelphia will look to stay in the Eastern Conference postseason mix. The Miami Heat (37-29) and the Orlando Magic (35-28) are in the way of the 76ers for the final playoff spot.