NBA scoring leader Joel Embiid finished with 35 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists on Saturday, narrowly missing Philadelphia's first triple-double of the season. The 76ers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 127-123 to snap their six-game winning streak.
With 49 seconds remaining, the 76ers' nine-point advantage was reduced to two points, but Embiid converted 19 of 21 free throws, including six in the final 9.8 seconds to secure the victory.
The 76ers improved to 11-5, the same as the Thunder, with Tyrese Maxey contributing 28 points and eight rebounds and Tobias Harris scoring 16 points. At the free throw line, Philadelphia had a significant advantage, making 37 of 45 shots to Oklahoma City's 21 of 26. "Everyone is following the league this year, and a lot of the finishes are what you would call spectacular ones. Now, it's practically the standard," Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse remarked. "You definitely must complete. There is never a moment to unwind and do nothing.
It has to be cleaned up. You don't need that kind of stuff if your goal is to be an exceptionally good team. With 33 points, rookie Chet Holmgren led Oklahoma City. Same as Embiid, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points to be named to the NBA first team last season. The 76ers have defeated Oklahoma City in four straight home games. With 49 seconds remaining, Embiid stumbled and injured his left ankle, but he got back up on his own and continued to play. Due to left hip pain, he had missed the 76ers' most recent game, a loss to Minnesota.
Giddey under pressure:
Josh Giddey, the guard for the Thunder, finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists. He began despite the NBA looking into whether he had an inappropriate interaction with a minor. The accusations originated from an anonymous user's now-deleted social media post from an account that has subsequently been deleted.
Before the game, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault described the NBA inquiry as "a league matter" and stated that "it's not even a decision" regarding playing Giddey. The home audience at Paycom Centre cheered largely for the 21-year-old Giddey during his pregame introductions and following each of his baskets.
On Friday, Giddey declined to comment on the circumstances. Philadelphia took command of the game with an 18-5 run in the third quarter, which featured 3-pointers from Maxey, Nicolas Batum, and Harris. The game saw 12 lead changes. With 55 seconds remaining in the fourth, Embiid made a short jumper to put the 76ers ahead 93-80.
76ers: On Monday, they will host the Los Angeles Lakers. Thunder: On Tuesday, they'll go see the Minnesota Timberwolves.