Quentin Grimes' career night helps Sixers break losing streak

Grimes shot 18-of-24 and scored a career-high 44 points as the 76ers beat the Golden State Warriors, 126-119. It was Philadelphia's first victory since Feb. 4, and leaves the Sixers just 2.5 games out of the play-in tournament.

It was a huge night for a player who was originally an afterthought for the 76ers. When Philly traded Caleb Martin to the Dallas Mavericks for Grimes and a second-round pick, their primary motivation was to save money on salary and luxury tax by dealing Martin for Grimes and his expiring contract, as well as get their own second-round pick back.

But Grimes had a solid season for the Mavericks, averaging 10.2 points and shooting nearly 40 percent from three-point range. Still, no one expected him to be unstoppable against the Warriors, who were riding a five-game win streak. Grimes didn't miss a shot until there were 34 seconds left in the first half, then followed the miss with a dunk and a buzzer-beating three.

He didn't cool off, making his first four shots of the third quarter and at one point scoring 12 Sixers points in a row. When Grimes finally missed a shot, he got his own rebound and followed up with a layup. He had no trouble scoring through contact, and on defense, he racked up three steals and a blocked shot.

The only way the Warriors were able to slow down Grimes was to send him to the foul line. Grimes was 6-of-9 on three-pointers but only 2-of-8 from the three-point line. With Philadelphia clinging to a two-point lead with 56 seconds left, Draymond Green fouled Grimes behind the arc and he went on to miss two of his three free throws.

But thanks to a blown call when the rebound went out of bounds, and a successful Nick Nurse challenge reversed the Warriors possession after another Grimes miss, the Sixers got a third chance. Paul George (17 points), undistracted by a podcast, made a jumper to seal the game.

Grimes is a restricted free agent this summer, having failed to reach an extension with Dallas. The 76ers might need to give Grimes a serious look this summer, especially if he fuels an improbable play-in run.