The Philadelphia 76ers continue their unbeaten run at home (13-0) after a gritty 97-92 win over the Denver Nuggets at Wells Fargo Center.
Joel Embiid led the way with 22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while Tobias Harris added 20 points on the night. He's now scored 20+ points in five of his last six games.
Ben Simmons added seven points, nine rebounds and seven assists, with the 76ers winning their third game in a row and seven of their last eight, now holding an 18-7 record on the season.
.@sixers split season series with @nuggets, improving to 13-0 at home.
— Sixers Stats (@SixersStats) December 11, 2019
It’s the best home start for Philadelphia since 1966-67.
h/t @EliasSports
Will Barton started the game with a bang, scoring the Nugget's first 13 points of the game and 15 in the period on 6-of-10 shooting as Denver took a 27-26 lead.
The 76ers hit back in the second, clamping down on defence and getting out in transition as they opened the period on a 21-6 run to steady the ship.
Rookie Matisse Thybulle was again in the thick of the action, helping the 76ers get out on the break with his activity on the defensive end.
This is now a @MatisseThybulle fan account.
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 11, 2019
📺 @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/4GSFoAXlbx
With the game in the balance and the Nuggets starting to find their rhythm, Al Horford came to life after going scoreless in the first half, pouring in nine of his 11 points in the third quarter to help the 76ers take an 83-76 lead into the fourth.
Embiid produced the play of the game to close out the third, somehow getting this circus shot to drop!
Well.
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 11, 2019
This will do.@JoelEmbiid | #PhilaUnite pic.twitter.com/h91VHfQaaU
The 76ers held the lead through the fourth, but the Nuggets refused to lay down, as the 76ers offence struggled down the stretch. Harris' jumper with 4:09 left in the game put them up 95-89, but the 76ers would not score again until Embiid iced the game at the free-throw line.
A bucket from Nikola Jokic made it 95-92 with 18.9 seconds left, before Embiid's free throws gave them a five-point lead with 15.3 seconds to go.
Philly's frontcourt combination did a solid job keeping Jokic quiet during key stretches, with the Nuggets big man scoring just 15 points on the night, adding 11 assists and seven rebounds.
Barton led the Nuggets with 26 points, seven rebounds and seven assists on the night, while Gary Harris added 14.
The Nuggets played most of the game without point guard Jamal Murray, who suffered a 'trunk contusion' after a collision with Ben Simmons midway through the first quarter. The 22-year-old is expected to return for the Nuggets' home game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.
