Ranks 107-106 win Los Angeles Lakers

This highly anticipated game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers had a lot of subplots. With two head-to-head MVP candidates, Joel Embiid would eventually lead his team to victory.

While the Philadelphia 76ers held the best home record in the NBA, the Lakers held the best away record. Could the Sixers hand over their first loss away from Staples Center to Los Angeles?

The start of the game saw Ben Simmons assert himself, move towards the rim and convert the discs to points. The Sixers’ MVP candidate – Joel Embiid – was also aggressive, decisively attacking his defenders. In the first quarter alone, Embiid drew all of the Lakers’ great men. Danny Green added more attack, knocking down a pair of 3 corner points.

Defensively, Philly struggled to stop Lebron James early on, as he benefited from clean passes from Marc Gasol on backdoor cuts. Fortunately, for the Sixers, Anthony Davis went to the bench with knee pain and took advantage of his absence. At the end of the first quarter, the Sixers held a 10-point advantage.

The cold starts of Seth Curry and Tobias Harris didn’t help the Sixers gain a more comfortable lead. Shake Milton, who came off the bench after Matisse Thybulle, hit some tough shots, adding a much needed goal outside of Embiid. Additionally, Furkan Korkmaz has his few key shots to keep a slight margin. A tough pull-up in the corner and a three, thanks to a hockey assist from Embiid on a doubles team, kept Philly in the lead.

Matisse Thybulle and Dwight Howard made minimal contributions, as Simmons and Embiid rested on the bench. Howard’s free-throw airball drew a few laughs from his teammates, but his continued foul shot struggles added to the 76ers’ stagnant attacking game.

At times, LeBron James has showcased his versatility and raw strength. Hitting perimeter shots, scoring in paint on tough and contested shots and doing dishes to open up his teammates reminded the domestic audience why he is still considered a top player in the league.

For the Lakers, apart from Davis and James, the offensive stammered. Schroder, Kuzma and Morris weren’t letter carriers, while Alex Caruso gave a little spark on the bench. Still, LA stayed close and only entered the half of four points.

After the intermission, Simmons, Harris and Green fired. A quick layup from Simmons and some 3 points prompted Frank Vogel to call the timeout, falling 12 points at the start of the third quarter. Ideally, Seth Curry would inject a surge of attack after half-time, but his shooting issues continued. Once the Sixers cooled, the Lakers threw an 8-0 run after a practice and a score from Schroder.

A frightening moment saw Embiid attempt a dunk and awkwardly landed on his back. LeBron James was called for a flagrant foul 1, and Embiid reversed the two foul shots. Ironically, in a later play, Embiid himself was called out for a glaring foul, sending Anthony Davis down the line.

The lead was reduced to nine after a wave of attacks from Harris, Milton and Embiid. As a result, Vogel used a time out to tune his team.

Sixers rookie Tyrese Maxey checked his opening minutes in the third and quickly scored on one of his carded runners down the lane. With a struggling Embiid, Tobias Harris pulled off a long show jumping near the end of the term.

At the start of the fourth quarter, the Sixers were seven points ahead. Maxey added to the lead with a tough layup against Kyle Kuzma. Shake Milton also stepped into the game to provide much needed offense. His runner in the hall gave the Sixers an 11-point lead. A transitioning 3-point Korkmaz clutch extended Philly’s lead.

When Embiid stepped into the game he made his presence felt with a nice assist to Ben Simmons for a layup. After a drive and a big contact, he made a difficult shot, guarded by Anthony Davis. Midway through the quarter, Los Angeles couldn’t take advantage of the Sixers being in the foul penalty. They missed four consecutive shots from the line.

Philly’s lead increased to 14 after a post-up jumper from Harris, but Dennis Schroder would enter for layups, hoping to keep the Lakers in the game. James rested for a short time. Los Angeles wouldn’t leave without a fight.

Less than five minutes to go, Ben Simmons got another triple double. Harris pulled off a tough jumper on Davis, and the Sixers tried to fight one last fight from the Lakers. An acrobatic layup from Embiid caught a foul against Anthony Davis, increasing the lead to 12.

Then it happened. A formidable run from the Lakers would stun Sixer fans and cripple the Sixers in the same breath. Big shots from Caruso, Schroder and Caldwell-Pope brought Los Angeles back by a single point 19 seconds from time. The Lakers took the lead with an off-the-ball screen for Anthony Davis, who had an undisputed layup at the rim. With the game in play, the Sixers had final possession.

As the ball was conceded, Seth Curry received the pass and the ball ended up in the hands of Tobias Harris. A move towards the basket and a show jumping made Philadelphia and Los Angeles hold a collective breath. The shot was taken from the fingertips of Tobias Harris and in an instant the Lakers’ 13-0 run was brought to a halt as the ball passed through the net. One last second failed before the buzzer sounded. A nail-biter ended in a happy triumph for the 76ers.

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