Joel Embiid had 26 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two blocked shots to lift the host Philadelphia 76ers past the Los Angeles Lakers 105-87 on Thursday.
Tobias Harris added 23 points while Tyrese Maxey contributed 14 points and 10 assists and Georges Niang chipped in with 14 points for the Sixers.
Lakers star LeBron James did not play due to left knee soreness.
Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 31 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots while Russell Westbrook added 20 points. Malik Monk also had 11.
Philadelphia led by 12 early in the second quarter, but Davis threw down a dunk with 3:27 left in the period to close the Lakers within 46-41.
Embiid responded with a 15-foot jumper on the Sixers’ ensuing possession.
The Sixers led 54-48 at halftime thanks in large part to Embiid’s 13 points.
Davis was stellar for the Lakers before the break with 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting.
The Sixers came out aggressive in the third quarter and extended their advantage to 70-58 after Harris connected on a 3-pointer from the corner with 6:07 remaining.
Maxey soon scored in the lane for a 14-point lead before Monk came back with a trey for the Lakers.
Embiid converted a three-point play with 2:31 to go and the Sixers pulled ahead 79-63.
The Sixers led 88-68 at the end of the third.
Westbrook connected on a trey from the wing on the Lakers’ first possession of the fourth.
Philadelphia missed its first five shots in the fourth before Harris knocked down a jumper for a 90-71 lead.
Carmelo Anthony then made a trey to close the Lakers within 16 with 9:36 left.
Westbrook drove to the basket and scored, Davis added a dunk and Los Angeles cut the deficit to 90-78.
Harris hit consecutive shots and the Sixers held a 94-78 lead.
In a bizarre scene with 7:01 left, Anthony appeared to confront a couple of fans courtside before referee Leon Wood stepped in to intervene. The two fans looked to be ejected.
When Westbrook scored with 3:33 to go, the Lakers trailed 98-84, causing Sixers coach Doc Rivers to call timeout. However, the visitors never got any closer.
–Field Level Media
