Embiid shakes off worrying injury concern as absurd streak rumbles on — NBA Wrap
Joel Embiid shook off an ankle harm to attain 31 factors and seize 10 rebounds Friday, propelling the Philadelphia 76ers to a 121-111 NBA victory over Toronto along with his thirteenth straight sport with a minimum of 30 factors and 10 boards.
Embiid, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, had loads of help with Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris scoring 33 factors apiece for the 76ers.
Watch a mean of 9 NBA Regular Season video games per week LIVE on ESPN, obtainable through Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >
Embiid had an unlucky first quarter, scoring simply two factors within the interval after twisting his ankle in a clumsy touchdown underneath the basket.
After a quick journey to the locker room, he completed the primary half with 11 factors, three rebounds, six assists and 5 turnovers.
Harris stored the Sixers afloat, scoring 24 first-half factors to assist them take a 61-58 lead on the break after the Raptors had led by as many as 15.
Embiid got here alive within the third interval, scoring 17 straight 76ers factors in a run that noticed him dash for a transition basket off a feed from Maxey and drill a three-pointer that put the Sixers up 90-77.
Despite the occasional grimace of discomfort, Embiid prolonged the NBA’s longest stretch of 30-point, 10-rebound video games since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 16 straight in 1971-72.
The Raptors, led by Pascal Siakam’s 31 factors, bought the deficit down to 3 late within the third earlier than the Sixers pulled away once more.
MORE COVERAGE
‘No expectations’: Latest Simmons replace spells dangerous news as alarming absence continues
‘Greatest sports business deal in history’: Ludicrous $500m element in Jordan’s fortune
NBA Wrap: Giddey hobbles off injured; ‘sell the team’ chants as strugglers hit ‘rock bottom’
Maxey added 10 assists and Harris added eight rebounds and 7 assists to his season-high in factors because the Sixers gained for the eighth time of their final 9 video games.
“Tobias is a really good player, does a lot of good things,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse stated. “Sometimes shots find you, sometimes they don’t and tonight the ball found him a little more and he took advantage of it.” Nurse stated he wasn’t stunned the Sixers got here out a bit of flat after beating Western Conference leaders Minnesota on Wednesday behind a 51-point efficiency from Embiid.
“It wasn’t just (Embiid),” Nurse stated.
“It was everybody.
“Then Joel got going … he started punching through, started making some jumpers … he just finally got in his rhythm and got the shooting going.” Nurse stated the group would control Embiid’s ankle with a Christmas Day sport at Miami coming as much as begin a four-game highway journey.
“I’m sure it’ll be sore tomorrow,” Nurse stated.
In Brooklyn, Jamal Murray scored 32 factors and Nikola Jokic added 31 factors with 11 rebounds because the reigning champion Denver Nuggets held off the Nets 122-117.
Aaron Gordon added 18 factors and Michael Porter Jr. scored 15 for the Nuggets, who gained their third straight.
In a fourth quarter that featured six lead adjustments, Cam Thomas transformed a four-point play with 19.4 seconds remaining to tug the Nets inside one level at 115-114.
But Murray made three free-throws to increase the Nuggets’ lead and Denver held on.
Thomas led the Nets with 23 factors. Cameron Johnson added 17 as seven Brooklyn gamers scored in double figures.
In Miami, Tyler Herro scored 30 factors and Duncan Robinson added 21 of his 27 off the bench within the fourth quarter to gasoline the Heat in a 122-113 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
The Heat, who trailed by 11 early within the third quarter, withstood a 30-point, 13-assist double-double from Atlanta’s Trae Young, his sixth straight sport with a minimum of 30 factors and 10 assists.
FULL NBA RESULTS
Sixers 121-111 Raptors
Nets 117-122 Nuggets
Rockets 122-96 Mavericks
Heat 122-113 Hawks
Kings 120-105 Suns
Warriors 129-118 Wizards
