Sixers turn to patchwork backcourt with Tyrese Maxey and Kyle Lowry sidelined in Grizzlies loss

Kyle Lowry approached Cameron Payne in the locker room following the 76ers’ Tuesday loss at the Brooklyn Nets, with a message “to make sure you get your fluids and get your rest” while recovering from illness.

Lowry’s scheduled off day on the second night of a back-to-back, combined with Tyrese Maxey’s continued absence because of a concussion, meant Payne needed to step in as a starter for Wednesday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. The recently acquired Payne was one component of a patchwork backcourt, with Jeff Dowtin Jr. getting the backup minutes less than a week after signing his two-way contract.

Though both newcomers finished in double figures in less-than-ideal circumstances, coach Nick Nurse acknowledged the Sixers missed Maxey’s scoring and Lowry’s ability to organize the offense while surrendering a 15-point second-half lead in an eventual 115-109 defeat.

“Both of them did a great job getting downhill and creating some actions for us pushing the pace,” veteran teammate Tobias Harris added about both guards. “That’s step No. 1. … We just need a little bit more time together [to] really get our stuff in for them, where we can figure out how we can hunt mismatches on the floor and our spacing. That’s a big key for us.”

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It was the second consecutive night that the Sixers faltered in the fourth quarter, when the Grizzlies held a dominant 34-16 scoring edge. Nurse primarily blamed the collapse on the Sixers’ failures to guard the ball and play through contact, allowing 11 second-chance points and an 11-of-11 mark from the free-throw line in that final frame.

But the Sixers also “couldn’t get the ball in the basket down the stretch,” Payne said, when they went 7-of-28 from the floor and 1-of-7 from three-point range. When the naturally more limited play options for Payne and Dowtin broke down, Harris added, it left the Sixers “scrambling.”

“I feel like we kind of slow down at times when the fourth hits,” added Payne, who finished with 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting, five rebounds, and four assists. “I feel like we’ve just got to keep the identity and keep pressing, keep pushing. Not just thinking they’re just gonna lay down. We’ve got to keep being the enforcers for the whole 48 minutes.”

Wednesday’s predicament was a dramatic shift from less than two weeks ago, when it appeared the Sixers were set to boast a replenished guard group down the stretch of the regular season. They added Payne and Lowry, two veterans with NBA Finals experience, around the trade deadline. They got former starter De’Anthony Melton back from a spine issue. And Maxey was coming off his first All-Star appearance.

That has quickly — though likely temporarily — depleted.

After taking a blow to the back of the head during Sunday’s win at the Dallas Mavericks, Maxey was still experiencing “very mild” concussion symptoms Wednesday, Nurse said. Melton also aggravated his back during last week’s loss at the Boston Celtics, and is now “off-loading” and will be reevaluated in approximately two weeks, the team said.

Since joining the Sixers on Feb. 9, Payne said he feels “pretty comfortable, but I would probably say it’s not really there yet.” That is primarily because of the constantly shifting lineup combinations, forcing him to learn every teammate’s tendencies.

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Dowtin, meanwhile, received an “excellent” postgame assessment from Nurse. He totaled 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting and four assists in the first half, letting it rip when he was left open beyond the arc and delivering key passes to Paul Reed inside and to Kelly Oubre Jr. for a three-pointer as the Sixers initially built their lead. On-ball defense, though, remained Dowtin’s focus, noting that forcing steals and grabbing rebounds “helps our offense flow.”

Dowtin also credited his familiarity with schemes and terminology from playing 25 games for Nurse with the Toronto Raptors last season — along with his experience with the G League-affiliate Delaware Blue Coats — with easing his transition with the Sixers. He also snuck in a postgame conversation with new locker-mate Buddy Hield on Wednesday, one night after getting practical experience while briefly sharing the floor with Lowry.

“I’m just telling [Lowry], ‘Just keep communicating with me. Keep talking to me. Whatever you see out there, just let me know so I can help us and help you just be the best version of yourself,’”Dowtin said. “I’m definitely picking at his brain. Any type of advice that he has for me, I’m always listening.”

The lack of backcourt depth should not be a lingering issue for the Sixers. Lowry is set to return for Friday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, while Nurse was hopeful Maxey will soon begin the process to clear concussion protocols.

In the meantime, Payne will keep pumping fluids. And getting his rest. And adapting on the fly.

“Right now, it’s just who’s available once it’s time for the game,” Payne said. “We’re getting put out there in all kinds of lineups. [I’ve] kind of got to learn everybody.”