Joel Embiid had another marquee matchup with Nikola Jokic on Tuesday night, but this time Embiid got the better of him.
Embiid scored a team-high 22 points in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 97-92 win over the Denver Nuggets. With the win, the Sixers are now 13-0 at home and have the best home record in the NBA. The win also helped the Sixers earn their best home start since the 1966-67 season, according to Basketball Reference; Philly got 22 straight home wins to begin that season.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Sixers were up 83-76. The Nuggets had fed off the quality play of Jokic, Gary Harris and Will Barton. Jokic had a team-high nine points in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Embiid wasn’t much of a factor from a scoring standpoint, finishing with four points. But he grabbed four rebounds, and tallied one steal and an assist.
Jokic finished with 15 points on 53.8% shooting from the field, and he also had 11 assists and seven rebounds.
It wasn’t a premier performance from Embiid. But his game-sealing two free throws helped create enough cushion for the Sixers to win the game.
The last time these two teams played was on Nov. 8, and the Nuggets won 100-97. Jokic had the better outing, scoring 26 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and tallying six assists. Embiid had 19 points and 15 rebounds, shooting 35.3% from the field.
Oh we playin' mean now. pic.twitter.com/d30WggaqLz
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 11, 2019
The Sixers’ pace fluctuated throughout the game. Philly played its best when it was gaining stops and getting out in transition. The Sixers rank 12th in fastbreak points (13.8). On Tuesday, they scored 19 fastbreak points, tying their fifth-highest mark of the season.
Along with Embiid’s play, the Sixers showed how their ability to move the ball helps them have an above average offense. Ben Simmons had a team-high seven assists, and the Sixers had 24 as a team.
Still, those passes didn’t necessarily equate to buckets. The Sixers shot 41.6% from the field and 33.3% from deep.
What was most troubling for the Sixers was how their offense stalled late in the game. With 4:09 left, Tobias Harris made a jumper to increase the Sixers’ lead to 95-89. But after that bucket, the Sixers didn’t score again until Embiid sank a free throw with about 15 seconds left.
Well.
This will do.@JoelEmbiid | #PhilaUnite pic.twitter.com/h91VHfQaaU
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 11, 2019
As the Sixers come off this third straight win, they will prepare to play the Boston Celtics in Boston on Thursday night. The Celtics are currently 17-5, and they’re ranked second in the Eastern Conference.
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