JOEL Embiid scored 35 points with 11 rebounds, James Harden added 24 points with 13 assists and the Philadelphia 76ers made it consecutive wins to open a five-game road trip by earning a 113-112 victory Sunday (Monday in Manila) over the Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron James scored 35 points with 10 assists for the Lakers, while reaching the 38,000-point mark for his career on a first-quarter basket. James is one of just two players to reach the scoring plateau as he closes in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA record 38,387 points. Russell Westbrook scored 20 points with 14 rebounds and 11 assists for the Lakers in his fourth triple-double of the season.
James looked determined early, scoring 16 points in the first quarter and reaching 38,001 points on a jumper from the top of the key with 5:43 remaining in the opening period. In a tight game throughout, the Lakers led 58-57 at halftime before the 76ers went ahead 86-83 through three quarters.
Los Angeles pulled within a point on a 3-pointer from Troy Brown Jr. with 37 seconds left in the fourth and got the ball back after an Embiid miss. But they were unable to win in the closing seconds as Westbrook lost the handle on a go-ahead layup bid at the buzzer.
In other games, it was the Nuggets 119, Magic 116; Blazers 140, Mavs 123; Knicks 117, Pistons 104; Bulls 132, Warriors 118; Clippers 121, Rockets 100; Thunder 112, Nets 102; and Kings 132, Spurs 119.
Nuggets 119, Magic 116
Nikola Jokic hit a 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left to cap a 17-point, 14-assist, 10-rebound triple-double, and host Denver beat Orlando.
Aaron Gordon scored 25 points, Jamal Murray had 18 and Michael Porter Jr. finished with 16 for Denver, which has won 13 straight home games. Markelle Fultz had 20 points, Franz Wagner scored 19, Paolo Banchero added 18 and Bol Bol finished with 17 for the Magic.
Orlando led 115-112 with 1:08 left, but Gordon had a dunk and two free throws to put the Nuggets ahead 116-115 with 16.8 seconds left. Fultz split a pair of free throws to tie it, but Jokic hit his step-back 3-pointer to end the game. — Field Level Media
