Well, they are just not going to lose them all.
As much as some Sixers fans would have loved to see the team end the season on a 23-game losing streak to maximize their chances of keeping their top-six protected first-round pick, this team has to win some games between now and April 13.
They did just that against a particularly easy opponent: the Utah Jazz, who entered Philadelphia on Sunday night with a 15-48 record and sat out nearly every single critical rotation player on their roster. Even after a sluggish start, the also-undermanned Sixers held on to a 126-122 victory on their home floor. Here is what stood out from the action:
Depth pieces show signs of improvement
While most (all) Sixers fans were likely rooting for the Jazz to snap their losing streak by beating the Sixers, at least the Sixers saw noteworthy contributions come from some unproven players on their roster.
Head coach Nick Nurse has been toggling back and forth between Jared Butler and two-way floor general Jeff Dowtin Jr. in the backup point guard slot of late, and has been unable to get either player going with significant momentum. But as Nurse began to scale back the workloads of his best players, both Butler and Dowtin factored into the rotation in this one, and combined for 19 points before intermission.
Butler kickstarted what turned into what became a 35-8 Sixers run with a jolt of scoring, while Dowtin became the new ringleader of that push by scoring 10 points in a four-minute span:
JDJ in double digits. pic.twitter.com/STtfaznWAK
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 10, 2025
Meanwhile, rookie center Adem Bona played a lengthy stint in the first half, almost exactly playing 12 consecutive minutes. His athleticism really stood out, and in addition to a pair of rim finishes during that stint, Bona grabbed five rebounds, collected a pair of steals and blocked a shot. By the end of the third quarter, he had collected a career-high four swats, another encouraging sign. Giving Bona consistent run for the remainder of the season should be a priority for Nurse.
Nurse mentioned after a recent practice that the team would need Lonnie Walker IV to chip in with some production on the glass in addition to his shooting and scoring. Walker only made one of his five early three-point tries, but found other ways to impact the game. In addition to notching three early assists — one of which was a nifty bounce pass to Dowtin in transition — Walker grabbed eight rebounds in the first half alone, eventually attaining not just a season-high in scoring but the first double-double of his NBA career.
Quentin Grimes is far more of a proven commodity than Butler, Dowtin and Walker, but his breakout as an on-ball scorer continued on Sunday after a bump in the road on Thursday night in Boston. A glance at the box score could tell anybody that Grimes was effective putting the ball in the basket, but watching the diverse nature of his self-created baskets was impressive once again.
Even two-way stretch four Alex Reese, who checked into the game late in the first quarter, for his first dose of rotation work for the Sixers, impressed. Reese was clearly unafraid to get down and dirty in the paint, and ended up feasting on the glass while also become a defensive playmaker
Prior to the game, Reese spoke with PhillyVoice about his evolution as a player and acclimation process fitting in with both the Sixers and Delaware Blue Coats.
"It's been good in both places," Reese said. "Here and in Delaware, both teams have welcomed me. They've taught me a lot so far, pointed me in the right directions… I'm enjoying it and grateful to be here."
KJ Martin returns to Philadelphia
Martin, who was traded along with two second-round picks to the Detroit Pistons last month to help the Sixers get below the luxury tax threshold and was rerouted to the Jazz shortly thereafter, made his return to Philadelphia in this one, holding court with reporters at his locker prior to the game.
"It was tough," Martin said of a stress reaction in his foot halting a breakout season and eventually marking the end of his tenure with the team. The toughest part, he said, was that he had created so many strong relationships within the Sixers, whether it be with teammates, locker room staffers or other members of the organization.
Ultimately, Martin expressed gratitude for his year-plus in Philadelphia.
"I had a great time this year," Martin said. "Philly will always have a place in my heart for sure."
Martin, who said that he has been in touch with several former Sixers teammates, from close friend Tyrese Maxey to Joel Embiid, Ricky Council IV and Andre Drummond, compared his new situation in Utah to a previous situation he was part of, his first three NBA seasons playing for the Houston Rockets on extremely young teams. And moments earlier, Jazz head coach Will Hardy spent multiple minutes discussing how valuable Martin has been in Utah, not just because of his skill and physicality, but because of his vocal nature on the floor playing with young teammates still learning how to talk.
As promised, here is Jazz head coach Will Hardy's extended response on KJ Martin and the importance of Martin's voice on such a young team.
"KJ has brought a presence to our team that we needed and I think that he's modeling behavior in a really good way for our young players" https://t.co/q0wdjzN0DI pic.twitter.com/EFyFdnaVcE— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) March 9, 2025
"I think KJ has brought a presence to our team that we needed and I think that he's modeling behavior in a really good way for our young players about how to effectively communicate in the game," Hardy said. "Not just when the play is going on, but I think the way that he communicates in timeouts, the way that he communicates at halftimes, the way that he communicates at practice, shoot around, is really productive for our team because part of our group growing together is understanding how to navigate the moments of disagreement or 'I have to say something to you in a way that's going to come off as maybe a little bit sharp, but it's not meant that way.' It's just, we don't have time to softly package everything."
Odds and ends
A pair of additional notes from Sunday:
• Another old friend who recently landed with the Jazz, former Sixers first-round pick Jaden Springer, was ruled out for this contest due to a back injury. Springer, who is still in his age-22 season, inked a 10-day contract with Utah last month, and only a few weeks later inked a three-year standard NBA contract.
• Nurse said before the game that he will be monitoring the workloads of certain players moving forward in an effort to make sure they are not being overworked. While he later mentioned Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. as candidates for some sort of minutes reduction, the first player he acknowledged might need some relief was Guerschon Yabusele. Yabusele has appeared notably fatigued at multiple points this season, and has been open about the adjustment period he has needed to get acclimated to the ruthless nature of an 82-game NBA schedule. Yabusele only played the first seven minutes and 11 seconds of the first half in this one, not returning to the game until after halftime.
Up next: The Sixers will quickly board a flight to Atlanta, where they face the Hawks on Monday night.
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