Philadelphia 76ers Kick off Scrimmage Season With a win over Memphis Grizzlies

The Philadelphia 76ers finally got back out onto the court Friday afternoon for a scrimmage. The Sixers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies with solid performances from the team's key players.

The Philadelphia 76ers took the floor for an actual basketball game for the first time since early March. Before the COVID-19 pandemic had a breakthrough in the NBA, the Sixers were looking to climb back in the Eastern Conference from the sixth seed.

But on the night they defeated the Detroit Pistons on March 11, the 76ers were unsure if they were going to have the opportunity to conclude their season or not. At this point, it's confirmed -- the 76ers will finish the year off.

And for the last few weeks, the team has been down in Orlando, Florida, ramping up the action with what has become another training camp this season. Since players haven't competed in months, the NBA also offered another preseason, with a three-game scrimmage schedule down in the bubble.

The Sixers took on the Memphis Grizzlies for their first set of competitive action on Friday afternoon. Were they rusty? Of course, as expected. Not rusty enough to look unimpressive, however. Brett Brown wasn't lying when he said his guys were in good shape. They might not have felt like they were in peak condition -- but it was hard to tell these guys haven't played a game since March.

Most of the Sixers' key players picked up a little more than two-quarters worth of playing time. The team's two superstars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, shined on the floor as they combined for 19 points. Meanwhile, Sixers veteran forward Tobias Harris led Philly's offense with 15 points to help him notch the double-double with ten rebounds.

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Throughout the first half, the Sixers had no issues taking control of the game and dominating Memphis. However, when the deep bench players started collecting minutes, the 76ers began to lose grip of a significant lead. Fortunately, they were able to hold on and ended up defeating the Grizzlies 90-83, moving to 1-0 on the scrimmages.

The Sixers will take the floor once again on Sunday for a noon matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. That will mark the second of three scrimmages this summer. Then after this week, the 76ers will look to resume the regular season with a game against the Indiana Pacers on August 1.

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