The 76ers rebound in OT after losing the lead to beat the Lakers 133-122
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — De’Anthony Melton was an LA kid who campaigned heavily for the Clippers and not the other team in town.
Melton sure had more fun beating the Lakers in Philly.
Joel Embiid had 38 points and 12 rebounds, Melton hit a career-high 33 points off the bench and the 76ers rebounded after losing a nine-point lead in the final 30 seconds of regulation to defeat Los Angeles on Friday night’s 133: 122 to beat in overtime.
“We’re going to win,” said 76ers coach Doc Rivers. “When you give up a lead like that, it’s usually rare to collect yourself and play well in overtime.”
Anthony Davis had 21 of his 31 points in the fourth and finished with 12 rebounds while LeBron James had 23 points for the Lakers. James (sore left ankle) and Davis (illness) both missed defeat in Toronto on Tuesday.
James healed from his injury but only made 9 of 22 shots and missed 7 of 8 3-pointers.
Russell Westbrook had 12 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists and joined Magic Johnson as the only laker with a triple-double off the bench.
The Lakers were 12 minutes behind, with 2 1/2 minutes remaining typically but piling up due to clutch buckets and costly fouls by the Sixers. James converted a three-point play with a minute left that drew the Lakers to 115-110.
Austin Reaves buried a 3 with 12 seconds left that drew the Lakers to 119-117 and garnered a huge surge in Lakers fans who were well represented in the crowd. Reaves lost 120-117 and was fouled by Matisse Thybulle on a 3-point try. He made the first two free throws and missed the third.
“I don’t know anyone who can do two and miss one,” Reaves said. “It sucks to miss. I’m sure my mother will be frustrated because I missed a free throw.”
Davis was then fouled by Tobias Harris by 3.7 seconds. Davis missed one of two that made it to 120 and sent the game OT.
“It sure hurts, especially when you do the first one,” Davis said. “I watched the video and tried to figure out what I did wrong. Of course I kept it short.”
In the fourth, the Lakers made 16 of 20 free throws.
“I felt like a football coach when the guy had a field goal,” Rivers said at the end. “I hope he misses one of the field goals. He has. We made it into overtime which is an amazing statement. For real. That should never happen.”
The Lakers then missed their first nine shots from OT and were outplayed 13-2. James Harden scored nine points in overtime and finished the game with 28 points and 12 assists.
Melton had a career game with three steals in the third game alone, hitting four 3s and making all six shots in a 16-point quarter. He made a total of eight 3s and had seven steals.
Embiid highlighted a wild first half with a 20-point first quarter from 8 of 9 shooting overall and two 3-pointers. Embiid actually scored as many points as the Lakers in the quarter as he led the Sixers to a 31-20 lead. Embiid’s eight baskets also equaled the Lakers’ total.
He finished the quarter with a powerful dunk over poor Thomas Bryant, pattering into the second level of suites.
Embiid briefly went into the locker room early in the second and that left an opening for the Lakers. The Sixers traditionally fight when Embiid is off the court, which isn’t terribly surprising given he’s the reigning NBA scoring champion.
But this trip was particularly miserable.
The Lakers went on a 13-2 run with Embiid on the bench, a run that didn’t stabilize until Embiid returned and hit a 3 for a 36-34 lead. The game then turned into a 3-point shootout. The Lakers hit four, the 76ers hit six, and Philly took a 61-59 lead.
Who kept the Lakers tight in the half? It certainly wasn’t James and Davis. Try Reaves, who hit two 3s and scored 15 points that kept the Lakers within striking distance. He finished at 25.
TIP INS
Lakers: Johnson had a triple-double off the bench on February 14, 1996 against the Hawks. … James missed his first six shots and Davis was booed for two fouls in the first 4 minutes of the game and picked up his fourth early in the third.
76ers: Along with James, Westbrook and Oscar Robertson, Harden is the only player in NBA history with 23,000 career points and 6,500 career assists. … Melton is the one first sixer ever and only the second NBA player ever to have 30 points, eight 3s and seven steals in a game.
NEXT
Lakers: Complete a six-game road trip Sunday in Detroit.
76ers: Play the second game of a seven-game Sunday homestand against Charlotte.
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Source : apnews.com
