PHILADELPHIA -- For the first time in the 2026-27 season, the Philadelphia 76ers took the floor without LeBron James as they played host to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Sixers, on the first night of a back-to-back, decided to rest James in an effort to manage his workload as Philadelphia moves forward.
Without the services of James, the Sixers leaned on Jaylen Brown a bit more and he responded to the call. He finished with 27 points and played well on both ends of the floor as the Sixers were able to knock off the Bucks by a score of 127-116 to remain undefeated on the season.
Joel Embiid led the way with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, Tyrese Maxey had 26 points and four assists, VJ Edgecombe had 17 and 12 rebounds, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
added 12 huge points and some strong defense off the bench.
Here are the player grades following the win:
Tyrese Maxey: A
The Bucks paid a lot of defensive attention to Maxey as they did their best to limit his overall game. There were a few stretches when he was unable to get much going, but he knocked down some tough 3-pointers, including a heave from 47 feet to end the first quarter, and he was tough defensively. He took on a much larger offensive role in the third as he began to look for his shot a bit more and find that rhythm for Philadelphia. He was able to get into the paint off dribble penetration and find his groove in order to keep the scoreboard moving for the Sixers.
VJ Edgecombe: A
A big part of this game in the early going was Edgecombe’s 3-point shooting. He knocked down three triples in the early going and it allowed Philadelphia to build some separation from the Bucks and have some rhythm. He did leave the game briefly with an injury, but he was able to return rather quickly in the first half. Overall, he did get into some foul trouble, but Edgecombe was great from beyond the arc and was able to help on the glass in order to help the Sixers gain some separation.
Jaylen Brown: A
From the jump, Brown, celebrating turning 30 on Saturday, was in a rhythm. He was terrific in all facets of scoring the basketball. He was able to get to his spots in the mid-range, use his length and shooting touch to rise up over defenders and finish, and he was also terrific in terms of his 3-point shot and finding ways to be efficient. There was nothing the Bucks could do as Brown just used a mixture of moves, experience, and understanding of how to play this game in order to have a ton of success on the offensive end. He continues to be a positive force for this team on the offensive end as a scorer and he was solid defensively.
Dean Wade: A
It was a solid start for Wade who stepped in for the ailing James. He knocked down a corner 3 on a catch-and-shoot opportunity off a Maxey pass. Overall, he knocked down two triples and had three steals. That is a classic Dean Wade game as he does a lot of the little things.
Joel Embiid: A-plus
The Sixers just dumped the ball into Embiid on nearly every possession in the early going and the big fella continued to destroy Bucks big man Myles Turner as well as any doubles that Milwaukee sent toward him. His work in the post whether it was a bucket or passing out to an open teammate helped the Sixers find a rhythm offensively. He was tough to stop in the paint, was able to get after it on the glass, and was fantastic as a playmaker. His work off dribble handoffs and passing out of double teams was terrific in this one. He picked the Bucks apart every time he touched the ball.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: A-plus
The veteran made some big defensive plays as he disrupted everything the Bucks tried to do in this one. He was able to knock down some huge 3-pointers to burn the Bucks when they left him open and he was a positive contributor in this one in a number of areas. He did start grabbing at his back, though, when he was fouled by Milwaukee guard Kasparas Jakucionis, but he also took some overall bumps and bruises throughout the night. Either way, he was fantastic in this one.
Jabari Walker: A
The Sixers turned to Walker in the first half and he just made an immediate impact. He was tough on the glass, made plays defensively, and was a positive impact in a number of ways. It appeared he was going to be the backup big man in the second half, but he left with an injury in the third quarter.
Anfernee Simons: C
It’s probably going to take a bit for Simons to find his rhythm after missing all of the preseason. He had a tough start to this one as he missed some good looks and couldn’t find a groove on the offensive end. He struggled to find a rhythm in this one, but he did knock down a 3 off a DHO with Embiid so that helps.
Adem Bona: D
The initial Bona run was an adventure. He committed two fouls, botched a transition opportunity, and missed a corner 3-point look. He also got dunked on by Kyle Kuzma in seven minutes of action. His second half wasn’t much better as he just had a tough night.
Labaron Philon Jr.: Incomplete
The rookie made his NBA debut and he didn’t do much in his first three minutes. He missed an open look from beyond the arc and didn’t record a stat.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Jaylen Brown leads LeBron James-less Sixers over Bucks
