Furkan Korkmaz Helps 76ers Get Back on Track With a Career-Night vs. Grizzlies

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Back in the winner's column they go! The past week hasn't been easy for the Philadelphia 76ers. They prepared as best as they could for a four-game road trip last Thursday. Clearly, their preparation wasn't nearly enough as they lost four-straight on the road against three playoff teams and the Eastern Conference's worst squad.

After their four-game skid, the Sixers dropped to 31-21 overall and 9-19 on the road. As you can see, judging based on the numbers, consecutive losses on the road aren't anything new for the Sixers. So while some could assume all hope would be lost for Philly after losing to the Bucks on Thursday, the team once again reminded any of their doubters that despite a lousy road record, the Sixers are still oddly the best team in the NBA when playing at home.

Nothing changed about that fact on Friday night as the Sixers hosted a young Memphis Grizzlies team. While the Sixers didn't have their new acquisitions from the trade line available just yet, no additional help was needed at home as the 76ers took advantage of the massive chip they had on their shoulders after so many struggles and destroyed Memphis 119-107.

The starting lineup did a nice job as they dealt with minimal issues, which was a change of pace considering the struggles as of late. Ben Simmons led the team in total minutes on the floor once again and had a solid outing on both sides of the ball with three steals along with 22 points.

Tobias Harris was also a force on offense as he produced at a decent rate, totaling for 21 points. And although Joel Embiid didn't return to the court for the second-half due to neck stiffness, the Sixers' big man was off to a much better start in comparison to Thursday night as he drained three of his six field-goal attempts, putting up ten points.

Then last but surely not least, Sixers' veteran backup Furkan Korkmaz had another one of his shockingly excellent performances. That's not to say Korkmaz hasn't been decent, but Friday's matchup was another night where Korkmaz exceeded his career-high in points.

Last month, Korkmaz beat out his career-high for the second time this season with 21 points against Chicago. On Friday, he broke through once again with 34 points off the bench as he exploded from beyond the arc. Can the Sixers sustain this success moving forward? As long as they're at home, I suppose. While their road woes still exist, at least they know they haven't lost their mojo while playing in South Philly.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_