Embiid flirts with triple-double as 76ers demolish Nets

Joel Embiid poured in 32 points and came one assist shy of a triple-double as the Philadelphia 76ers cruised to a 121-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets in New York on Sunday, November 19 (Monday, November 20, Manila time).

Embiid added 12 rebounds to go along with his 9 assists en route to his ninth double-double of the young season. He made 11 of 24 shots from the field and sank 9 of 10 free throw attempts.

Tyrese Maxey drained six three-pointers and finished with 25 points and 10 assists for Philadelphia, which also got 21 points from De’Anthony Melton.

Lonnie Walker IV came off the bench to supply a team-high 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting for the Nets, who have dropped three of their past five games. Mikal Bridges chipped in 18 points, while Spencer Dinwiddie had 12.

Nic Claxton paired 10 points with 9 boards for Brooklyn.

Cameron Johnson drilled a trey to pull the Nets within 63-56 with 9:44 remaining in the third quarter, but the Sixers then blew the game open.

Philadelphia scored 16 of the next 18 points, with Maxey canning three triples during that span to help the 76ers go up by 21 with 6:22 left in the third.

The visitors ended up leading by as much as 27 in the quarter, and they were never seriously threatened in the fourth despite Brooklyn’s string of 9 unanswered points late in the frame.

After neither team led by more than 7 points over the first eight-plus minutes of the second quarter, Philadelphia started to pull away.

Embiid converted a putback layup off his own miss and was fouled, sinking the ensuing free throw for a three-point play with 3:44 left. That ignited a 20-5 quarter-closing run for the Sixers, who took a 61-49 lead into the break.

Embiid led all scorers with 22 points through the first 24 minutes of action. Bridges had 16 for the Nets.

Melton scored 8 points and Embiid netted 7 as Philadelphia raced to a 17-7 advantage with 6:37 to go in the first quarter. The 76ers held a 23-22 edge at the end of the period. – Rappler.com