On an emotional night where the actual basketball game took somewhat of a backseat, the Philadelphia 76ers powered through the emotion to defeat the Golden State Warriors 115-104.
It was the first time the Sixers took the court since the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and the team and players offered a plethora of tributes, from messages on their sneakers, to several moving pregame tributes, to Joel Embiid getting permission from Sixers legend Bobby Jones to wear his retired No. 24.
Understandably, the start of the game lacked in energy after the heaviness of the pregame activities. The Warriors took a one-point lead after the first quarter, but the Sixers responded in the second and carried a five-point advantage into the break.
Golden State trimmed a point off the Sixers lead in third, but Philadelphia maintained control in the fourth on their way to an 11-point victory.
Joel Embiid returned from a nine-game absence to lead the Sixers with, appropriately, 24 points. He added 10 rebounds while shooting 9-of-13 from the floor while wearing Bryant’s No. 24.
The big man got plenty of help in a balanced effort from the Sixers. Ben Simmons added 17 points, five assists, and four rebounds. Simmons was 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. Al Horford nearly produced a triple-double, finishing with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. Tobias Harris added 14 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Shake Milton chipped in 11 points, getting his second straight start in the absence of Josh Richardson.
Raul Neto was huge off the bench for the Sixers, pouring in a season-high 19 points. Furkan Korkmaz added eight, while Matisse Thybulle had five and Zhaire Smith had three.
The Sixers shot 51.2% from the field and a respectable 34.4% from 3.
It was a tough night, and the Sixers deserve credit for being able to manage the emotion and get a victory as they battle for playoff positioning in the East.
The organization, too, deserves credit for finding classy, moving ways to honor Bryant, his contributions to the game, and his connections to Philadelphia.
The Sixers return to action Thursday night against the Atlanta Hawks. [lawrence-related id=24435,24433,24426,24416,24405,24352]