The Philadelphia 76ers continue their impressive home form this season, improving 23-6 at the Wells Fargo Center, after beating the Los Angeles Lakers 143-120 today.
Joel Embiid was a force in the paint, posting 37 points and 14 rebounds on an efficient 12-of-16 shooting from the field as Philly made it two wins in a row.
Joel Embiid got it done for the @sixers as they took care of the Lakers at home! 😤
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 10, 2019
📊: 37 PTS (12-16 FGM) | 14 REB#HereTheyCome pic.twitter.com/3rTPCPe6ID
In his second game with the team, Tobias Harris scored 22 points, while Jimmy Butler finished with 15 points and JJ Redick 21. Ben Simmons had a quiet outing with eight points on 3-of-13 shooting, adding seven assists in the win.
HOW JJ HOW!? pic.twitter.com/PtZ4RvmK07
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 10, 2019
There was no shortage of buckets early in this one, with the Lakers outscoring the 76ers 40-39 in the opening quarter, with Kyle Kuzma exploding for 23 points on his own. It was the most points scored by a Lakers player in a first quarter since Kobe Bryant scored 23 against the Memphis Grizzlies in 2008.
Philly responded in the second quarter, closing the period on a 19-6 run to take a 76-67 lead into half-time and they kept their foot on the gas in front of a raucous home crowd, going on a 13-2 run to close the third quarter and take control of the game, leading 109-94 after three.
Philly did most of their damage while LeBron and Kuzma were out of the game, showing how effective their new deep rotation can be, staggering their stars as they took turns scoring the ball, racking up 33 assists on 56 made field goals.
“I’ve been here for a long time. This is my city.”@joelembiid talks with @IzGutierrez after the win! #HereTheyCome pic.twitter.com/NliAIhzLPd
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 10, 2019
“The East better watch out,” Lakers president Magic Johnson. “This is a stacked team.”
Kuzma finished the game with 39 points on 14-of-21 shooting, two points shy of his career high, while LeBron James recorded 18 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
The Lakers will complete their six-game road trip when they visit the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, while the 76ers will take on the Boston Celtics on Wednesday in a battle of the Eastern Conference's elite.
After today's win, the 76ers sit fourth in the standings, a game ahead of the Celtics heading into Wednesday's game.
