[ad_1]
James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball during the first half of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on January 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images/AFP
Joel Embiid dominated the matchup with Jusuf Nurkic, Philadelphia’s defense held Damian Lillard to 6-for-21 shooting and the visiting 76ers held off a late Portland Trail Blazers rally for a 105-95 victory on Thursday.
Embiid led all scorers with 32 points, and James Harden helped Philadelphia with 16 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds, his fourth triple-double of the season. The 76ers won their fourth straight on an eight-day, five-game road trip that ends Saturday in Sacramento.
Bouncing back from a brutal first half, Lillard had a team-high 25 points for the Trail Blazers, who lost their second straight.
Embiid scored six points in the game’s opening, 11-2 burst that put the 76ers in good shape.
Joel Embiid has 30 pieces in Portland 💪
Sixers lead by 8 with 0:51 left in Q4.
WATCH: https://t.co/1pomQZMAZK pic.twitter.com/Oj4Nj1MglE
— NBA (@NBA) January 20, 2023
Philadelphia held a 57-34 lead at halftime, Nurkic recorded three fouls and no points in eight minutes and Lillard struggled to a 1-for-10 start.
The uphill climb got Portland at 101-93 after a 30-foot 3-pointer by Lillard with 1:35 to go, but Harden slammed the door with a floater in the lane from Embiid’s assist.
The 30-point night was Embiid’s 25th of the season. The Sixers big man hit 12 of 22 shots and made all seven free throws while also finding time for nine rebounds and a game-high three blocks.
Harden vs. Entire pic.twitter.com/zUXiIaQDAT
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 20, 2023
Tyrese Maxey added 15 points, Tobias Harris 11 and Shake Milton 10 for the 76ers, who outshot the hosts 50.6 percent to 37.6 percent.
Lillard used 10-for-10 success at the line to account for most of the scoring on the night when he misfired on 10 of 13 3-point attempts. He finished with a double-double with a team-high 11 assists.
Jerami Grant scored 24 points for the Trail Blazers, while Nurkic had a game-high 11 rebounds but only four points on 2-for-10 shooting in 24 minutes.
Anfernee Simons (16 points) and Nassir Little (10) also scored in double figures for Portland.
RELATED STORY
Get the hottest sports news straight to your inbox
Read Next
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & 70+ other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to news, download from 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For suggestions, complaints, or questions, please contact us.
[ad_2]
Source link