Player grades: Paul George returns to lead Sixers over Nets in NBA Cup

NEW YORK -- The Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday to finish up the NBA Cup portion of the schedule looking to get back on track. The Nets offered a "get right" opportunity for Philadelphia as they are a young and rebuilding team missing their top two scorers.

The Sixers jumped out to a quick lead and maintained it all night as they earned a 115-103 wire-to-wire win over the Nets. Philadelphia led by as many as 21 and received 14 points, three rebounds, and two assists in 21 minutes from Paul George in his return from injury.

Tyrese Maxey had 22 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists while Quentin Grimes added 19 and nine assists, Jared McCain added 20 points off the bench and, Adem Bona had 13 points in his return from injury. Andre Drummond had seven points and four rebounds before leaving with a right knee sprain.

Here are the player grades following the win:

Tyrese Maxey: A

While Maxey got off to a slow start with his offensive ability in this one, he ended up stuffing the box score all over the place. He ended up finding a rhythm offensively—which is not a surprise—and he was able to produce both on the glass and in the playmaking department. He also had a good night defensively staying in front of Brooklyn’s guards and making things tough for him. Overall, another great night for the star leader of this Sixers team as he was able to contribute in a number of different areas. He needed it and the team overall needed it after the last couple of outings.

Quentin Grimes: A

There were some tough moments offensively as Grimes missed some makeable shots, but he was all over the place on the defensive end. He competed on that end of the floor, helped Philadelphia force some turnovers and his mere presence on the floor caused the Nets to pay attention to him because of his shooting ability. He came up with some big buckets in the third when Brooklyn made a run to get back into this one. He also deserves credit for his playmaking as he was terrific passing the ball in this one.

Paul George: A-minus

The 9-time All-Star looked good in this one after missing a game due to a right ankle sprain. He was moving well, put his head down and got to the basket, knocked down an early triple, and was efficient with his overall offense. He had some issues getting going in the third quarter, but having him out there was a big boost to this group. He was a menace on the defensive end and was able to provide a consistent offensive source for the Sixers to turn to in this one in his limited minutes.

Dominick Barlow: B

The Sixers went with a bigger frontline to start the night and Barlow was all over the place on the defensive end of the floor as he forced the Nets into some tougher looks around the basket. His activity on that end combined with his rebounding ability were big pluses in this one. The minus was the foul trouble. Barlow getting into foul trouble was a big problem in this one.

Andre Drummond: Incomplete

The big man had a terrific start. He knocked down a corner 3, was active on the glass, had a big block, and made plays with his passing in the early going of this one. Nets big man Nic Claxton is a terrific player, but he wasn’t able to contain Drummond in this one as the veteran continues his renaissance season. However, he took an awkward fall in the second quarter and had to be helped to the locker room. He was ruled out for the rest of the game at halftime which was a big loss for the Sixers.

Jared McCain: A-minus

The initial stint off the bench for McCain was terrific. He knocked down two open 3s, was able to get downhill and make things happen offensively while also sticking his nose amongst the trees and coming up with a couple of big rebounds for this group. He continues to look better with every passing game as he gets back to himself. He made some big shots in the fourth quarter to put this one away when the Nets tried to hang around, as he confidently stepped up and put Brooklyn away.

Adem Bona: B-plus

In his return from a 5-game absence due to a right ankle sprain, Bona had some good moments in this one. He finished well around the basket to give the Sixers an inside presence and he was a good rim protector as he made the Nets think twice about challenging him. The issue was foul trouble which became a real problem once Drummond left.

Justin Edwards: C-minus

It was a slow start for Edwards as he missed a couple of bunnies and had a bad turnover, but he defended well and was able to knock down a 3. Overall, it was a tough night for the second-year forward as he was unable to find a rhythm or contribute much off the bench.

Kyle Lowry: B

The 20-year veteran received a look in the second quarter and he gave the Sixers a reliable ball-handler and he picked up a couple of assists. He got some run in the third quarter as well to run things off the bench.

Jabari Walker: C

An issue for Walker in this one was foul trouble in his initial stint, but he was a presence on the glass and was able to finish inside. He is a physical player who can help in a lot of areas which made life tough on Brooklyn’s bigs in this one. He did pick up five fouls in 12 minutes, though.

Johni Broome: Incomplete

The rookie was pressed into action after the Drummond injury and he picked up two quick fouls in his initial stint. It’s tough to really evaluate him in this type of situation.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Paul George returns to lead Sixers over Nets in NBA Cup