Tobias Harris scores 32, Ben Simmons records triple-double as Sixers edge Thunder on the road

Benyam Kidane

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Tobias Harris scores 32, Ben Simmons records triple-double as Sixers edge Thunder on the road image

It came down to the wire in Oklahoma City, but the Philadelphia 76ers hung on to secure a 108-104 win, ending their 19-game losing streak against the Thunder.

Tobias Harris led all scorers with 32 points on 11-for-19 shooting, including 5-for-7 from three, while Ben Simmons recorded his ninth triple-double of the season with 11 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.

With the score tied at 93-93 with 5:06 remaining in the fourth quarter, the 76ers reeled off a 10-0 run to break the game open, with Harris scoring eight of those points.


Just when Philly looked like they had enough breathing room, the Thunder turned up the heat on the defensive end of the floor, forcing some timely turnovers, with buckets from Terrance Ferguson and Markieff Morris and four free throws from Russell Westbrook making things interesting down the stretch.

Philly started the game on fire, with the starting unit of Jimmy Butler, JJ Redick, Simmons, Harris and Jonah Bolden getting tons of wide open looks, with the ball flying around the court as they racked up 13 assists through 12 minutes, with Simmons even getting some spot minutes at the centre position.

It was much of the same in the second as they finished with 21 assists on 25 made field goals in the first half, taking a 60-49 lead into the half, before the Thunder responded in the third by going on a 16-4 run to cut the deficit to just two points.

Philly finished the game with 33 assists on 42 made field goals.

WIth Joel Embiid still sidelined with a knee injury, rookie Jonah Bolden made the most of his fifth career start, tying his career-high with 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting in just 20 minutes of action.


With the playoffs just around the corner, the 76ers have seamlessly integrated a ton of new pieces into the rotation, with the team 6-2 since trading for Tobias Harris, who put in his best offensive performance in a Philly jersey.

"Tobias was great, he was huge for us, defensively and offensively," 76ers point guard Ben Simmons said post-game. "We're gelling, it takes time, like I said early on when we made that trade and I think we're doing a good job with the chemistry and buiilding."

For the Thunder, Russell Westbrook recorded his 25th triple-double of the season, with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, while Jerami Grant picked up the slack in Paul George's absence, with 23 points of his own adding six rebounds.

Steven Adams finished with an 11-point, 14-rebound double-double, while the reserve duo of Markieff Morris (17 points) and Dennis Schroder (14 points) combined to score 31 points.


With the win, the 76ers move to 40-22 on the season, while the Thunder fall to 38-23. The 76ers are back in action Sunday when they take on with the Golden State Warriors.

Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.