From Quentin Grimes to Adem Bona, these Sixers have something at stake down the stretch of disastrous season

Josh Hart grabbed the rebound and dashed into the open floor, then made the heads-up play to let go of the ball in front of the rim just before the third-quarter buzzer sounded.

That squashed any momentum this version of the 76ers had built during the third quarter Tuesday, before the Knicks steadily created separation in a 105-91 victory.

That has become a theme for the Sixers, who have lost nine games in a row entering the season’s final six contests. Winning, of course, is not exactly the organizational priority during these final 11 days of the regular season. In fact, one could argue that the opposite is, as the franchise attempts to hold the best possible odds to keep its top-six protected draft pick.

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But even though the Sixers have formally shut down stars Joel Embiid (who will have arthroscopic knee surgery next week, the Sixers announced Wednesday evening), Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George — and have not suited up rotation fixtures such as Kelly Oubre Jr., and Andre Drummond for more than two weeks — don’t tell the players who are taking the floor down the stretch that these games have no value.

They include Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele, who hope to parlay their pleasantly surprising seasons into free-agent paydays. And rookies Justin Edwards and Adem Bona, who want to demonstrate their long-term potential with the team that drafted them. And fringe NBA players such as Lonnie Walker IV and Jeff Dowtin Jr., who want to prove they belong in the league.

“Every single minute is big for me,” Bona said recently. “… This is my opportunity to show what I can do.”

Here is a sampling of how those players with plenty at stake hope to utilize the rest of the season:

Grimes has been a revelation since joining the Sixers at the trade deadline, averaging 22 points on nearly 50% shooting, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 23 games mostly while the team’s top offensive threats have been sidelined. And his explosion arrived at the ideal time personally, because he will be a restricted free agent who could command a lofty offer sheet that the Sixers can match this summer.

But how could he fare as a future ballhandling option? That is coach Nick Nurse’s question.

Grimes started at point guard against the Knicks but then began the second half alongside Jared Butler in the backcourt, because, in Nurse’s words, “I just didn’t love it in this game.” That indicates the late-season challenge presented to Grimes to become more of an on-ball creator for himself and others, such as getting to his spots for midrange jumpers and playing in the pick-and-roll.

“It’s just more of a responsibility on my end,” Grimes said Tuesday after the game. “Just go out there and make sure everybody’s in the right spots, make sure we get a good possession. …

“I’m definitely trying to get those reps under my belt, to make sure I’m orchestrating the offense like how Kyle [Lowry] does when he comes in the game.”

Given Edwards’ style of play, it is unsurprising that he wants to “sharpen a little bit of everything” as he continues his rise from undrafted rookie to earning a standard contract to becoming a reliable rotation player. And he does not want to change his play-within-himself approach, even while the teammates around him are quite different.

“Being unselfish or knowing when to be aggressive,” Edwards said, “… it’s a skill that not a lot of people have, so I’m blessed to be able to have that.”

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Yet two improvement areas Edwards highlighted were continuing to develop his body and polishing his jumper mechanics. He said that every time a jump shot falls short, it is because his shoulders are back. And sometimes, his follow-through is “all over the place.”

“So I’m just trying to focus on making it go straight the whole time,” he said.

Bona recently compiled two consecutive strong performances against the Miami Heat (16 points on 8-of-9 shooting, 10 rebounds, three blocks) and the Toronto Raptors (14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, eight rebounds, five blocks). In nine games since March 9, he has averaged 8.2 rebounds.

That aligns with his comments following a March 12 game at Toronto, when Bona said rebounding would be a focus while receiving more consistent rotation minutes. He told The Inquirer he even tweaked some of his box-out techniques to “try to hit the guy earlier.”

“With my size and my athleticism, I’ve got to be able to do that,” Bona said.

Bona has also upped his free-throw shooting to 68.4% entering Thursday, providing optimism that he can eventually extend his range. He has established some nice chemistry with Butler and Walker on dump-off passes, and has been a defensive presence. And he has been cutting down on offensive fouls, particularly while screening on the offensive end.

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A perfect encapsulation of Council’s inconsistent second NBA season occurred on the Sixers’ last road trip, when he followed up a 1-of-11 performance at the Oklahoma City Thunder with a career-high 20 points and eight rebounds at the San Antonio Spurs.

Still, he has been plagued at times by head-scratching decision-making, including too many ill-advised shots. Without prompting, Council recently acknowledged that cleaning that up would be his priority down the stretch.

Council — whose rise from undrafted rookie to receiving a standard contract was one of last season’s feel-good stories — said he has been living by a lesson taught during his college career at Arkansas: that a “shot on goal” is better than a turnover. Still, Council said he is working to play off two feet and stay under control with the ball.

One way to do that and still utilize his athleticism, Nurse said, is by rebounding and immediately pushing the ball in transition.

Since Butler joined the Sixers at the trade deadline, initial spotty minutes have turned into a consistent rotation role for the first time in his career. He has scored at least 14 points in four of his last five games, is shooting an eye-popping 55.6% from three-point range during that stretch, and recorded his first double-double with the Sixers on Saturday against the Heat (19 points, 10 assists).

That has come while learning how to play starter’s minutes, then recover, and then ramp back up. His new favorite tool: the cold tub.

“Now it’s more a point of emphasis,” Butler said. “It’s nonnegotiable, I have to do it.”

Dowtin offered a bit of foreshadowing when, before scoring 20 points at Toronto on March 12, he spoke about confidently stepping into his shot. He added he had worked on mechanics such as footwork on various attempts, along with his pace to get to the rim and finish.

“The more minutes you get,” he said, “the more opportunity you get to kind of showcase those things that I’ve been working on.”

Dowtin said he is also striving to be a more vocal leader while organizing the offense as the point guard. That is a tricky task with such a lack of cohesion, and new teammates filtering in and out of the lineup. That includes him, as because of rules for players on two-way contracts, he can be active for only two more games during the regular season.

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The key, Dowtin said, is knowing what each position is supposed to do on every offensive set.

“You know what movements and routes guys are supposed to be on the court, so they don’t look confused and don’t show that lack of chemistry,” he said. “Whenever we get out there, whatever play is called … I always say it back to the guys and just make sure they know where to go. They can always ask me questions. I’m going to always know what spot to put them in and what they want to do on the court.

“So that makes it easier for me, just having that mental capacity to know everything that goes on on the court.”

Walker’s return to the NBA was recently interrupted by a concussion, which on Sunday he called an “inconvenience.”

He again flashed his microwave scoring in the loss to the Raptors on Sunday, finishing with 23 points. But his seven assists were perhaps more important, and a product of Walker recognizing the Raptors’ defensive scheme and being decisive. He had another four assists against the Knicks on Tuesday.

“If I have a layup, take it,” Walker said Sunday. “If someone’s open, just making the simple, easy pass and just let the rest fall out. … Just seeing what was out there, seeing who was guarding me and just trying to make the right plays, play within the flow of the game and play within my teammates.”

That is part of Walker’s quest to prove he can be more than a scorer at the NBA level. He added rebounding to the list of things he hopes to improve by the end of the season, and then totaled seven boards against the Knicks.

“I work too hard to not showcase my skills and do what I can do,” he said. “So I’m just letting my work, honestly, speak for itself. Let my actions speak more than my words.”

Perhaps no player has repeated Nurse’s “play the right way” mantra more often than Hood-Schifino.

And for good reason. After injury struggles in a season-plus with the Los Angeles Lakers organization, he is in the category of players getting a second shot to “fight to, obviously, stick in the league and obviously have a job.”

The 6-foot-6, 215-pounder was inactive at the Knicks, but will be able to play in five of the six remaining games. Perhaps his best performance as a Sixer came Sunday against the Raptors, when he totaled 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting and five assists.

After the game, Nurse said he liked Hood-Schifino’s combination of strength to fight off contact and touch on his shot.

“It’s a journey, and this is my journey,” Hood-Schifino said Tuesday. “So just taking it all in and enjoying the process [and] trusting God. I know everything happens for a reason. Now being where my feet [are] and being present in the moment.

“I’m thankful for having the opportunity, so just looking forward to maximizing the five games I do have left and letting God handle the rest.”

Reese connected on 41.8% of his 7.3 three-point attempts per game in parts of two seasons with the G League’s Rip City remix. So after starting 2-of-14 from beyond the arc with the Sixers, Reese said on March 16 that “it’s coming … they’ll drop soon.”

“It’s got to,” he added. “I’m a numbers guy, and the numbers say I can shoot.”

He was right. He went 8-of-15 from beyond the arc over his next four games, and then followed an 0-for-3 mark on Sunday against the Raptors by making two of his three attempts at Madison Square Garden.

Reese added that he has been pleased with some of his defensive strides, particularly while guarding positions for which he has not been responsible “for a long time.”