Joel Embiid had 38 points and 12 rebounds, De’Anthony Melton scored a career-high 33 points off the bench and the Philadelphia 76ers recovered after blowing a nine-point lead in the final 30 seconds of regulation to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 133-122 in overtime on Friday night.
Anthony Davis had 31 points and 12 rebounds, while LeBron James scored 23 points for the Lakers. James (sore left ankle) and Davis (illness) both missed a loss in Toronto on Tuesday.
Russell Westbrook had 12 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, joining Magic Johnson as the only Lakers with a triple-double off the bench.
The Lakers were down 12 with 2 1/2 minutes remaining in regulation but rallied on clutch buckets and costly fouls by the Sixers. James converted a three-point play with a minute left that pulled the Lakers to 115-110.
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Austin Reaves buried a 3 with 12 seconds left that pulled the Lakers to 119-117 and got a tremendous rise out of the Lakers fans well represented in the crowd. Down 120-117, Reaves was fouled by Matisse Thybulle on a 3-point attempt. He made the first two free throws and missed the third. Davis then was fouled by Tobais Harris with 3.7 seconds left. Davis missed one of two that made it 120-all and sent the game into OT.
The Lakers made 16 of 20 free throws in the fourth.
James Harden had a bucket in OT that gave the Sixers breathing room and finished with 28 points and 12 assists.
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Melton had a career game in the third alone with three steals, hit four 3s and he made all six shots and in a 16-point quarter. He made eight 3s overall.
Embiid highlighted a wild first half with a 20-point first quarter of 8-of-9 shooting overall and two 3-pointers. Embiid actually scored as many points as the Lakers in the quarter when he led the Sixers to a 31-21 lead. Embiid’s eight baskets also matched the Lakers’ total.
He closed the quarter with a powerful dunk over poor Thomas Bryant that rattled into the second level of suites.
Embiid briefly went to the locker room at the start of the second and that left an opening for the Lakers. The Sixers traditionally struggle when Embiid is off court, not terribly surprising since he is the reigning NBA scoring champion.
But this was outing was particularly abysmal.
The Lakers went on a 13-2 run with Embiid on the bench, a run that wasn’t steadied until, yes, Embiid returned and hit a 3 for a 36-34 lead. The game then morphed into a 3-point shootout. The Lakers hit four, the 76ers made six and Philly took a 61-59 lead into the break.
Who kept the Lakers close in the half? It sure wasn’t James and Davis. Try Reaves, who hit two 3s and scored 15 points that kept the Lakers within striking distance. He finished with 25.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Johnson had a triple-double off the bench on Feb. 14, 1996 against the Hawks. ... James missed his first six shots against the 76ers and Davis was whistled for two fouls inside the first 4 minutes of the game and picked up his fourth early in the third.
76ers: Harden joined James, Westbrook and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history with 23,000 career points and 6,500 career assists. ... Melton is one of three NBA players with three games of five-plus steals this season.
UP NEXT
Lakers: Wrap a six-game road trip Sunday at Detroit.
76ers: Play the second game of a seven-game homestand Sunday against Charlotte.
