Philadelphia 76ers big-man Joel Embiid out-dueled Denver’s two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic and the Boston Celtics edged the Los Angeles Lakers 125-121 in additional time as rivalries took middle stage in the NBA on Saturday.
Embiid, who completed runner-up to Jokic in voting for Most Valuable Player honors the previous two seasons, poured in 47 factors to guide the 76ers to a 126-119 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Cameroon’s Embiid additionally grabbed 18 rebounds to assist the Sixers erase a 15-point halftime deficit on the best way to a seventh straight victory.
Embiid, who additionally missed out on choice as an All-Star Game starter this week, downplayed the concept of a private rivalry with Jokic, saying the competition was in regards to the 76ers testing themselves in opposition to the Western Conference’s high group.
“I like the massive fella,” he told broadcaster ABC of Jokic. “I’m a big fan.”
“I believe he’s extra of a motivation to exit and attempt to win the entire thing,” Embiid said. “I guess that’s the only way I’m probably going to get that respect.”
Embiid was in every single place in the second half, his step-back jumper knotting the rating at 110-110 with 5:48 remaining.
After his block on Jamal Murray, Embiid scored on the fastbreak to place the 76ers up for good, and he drained a step-back three-pointer over Jokic that pushed Philadelphia’s result in 125-117 with 30.1 seconds to play.
Jokic led the Nuggets with 24 factors, eight rebounds and 9 assists.
The 76ers improved to 32-16, they usually have been two and a half video games behind the league-leading Celtics after Boston rallied to beat the Lakers in a recreation that featured 19 lead modifications.
The Lakers led by seven halfway via the fourth quarter, however Jaylen Brown transformed a three-point play to tie it up at 105-105 with 4.1 seconds left.
He went on to attain 11 factors in the additional session after LeBron James’s drive to the basket on the finish of regulation ended in a miss, with James and the Lakers pleading for a foul name after Jayson Tatum appeared to brush his arm.
The name didn’t come and Boston prevailed, withstanding a 41-point efficiency from James to finish a three-game skid.
“The finest participant on Earth can’t get a name — it’s superb,” said Lakers coach Darvin Ham, who spoke of the “agony” of dropping such an enormous recreation.
“I don’t perceive it,” James said, adding that he didn’t think it was the first time a non-call proved costly to the Lakers this season.
Brown preferred to focus not on officiating or the rivalry but on Boston’s quest to remain the dominant team in the East.
“It was a much-needed win,” he mentioned. “We misplaced the final three, so we wished to come back out and get a win at this time.”
Ham noted that any game between the Celtics and Lakers — who have faced each other a record 12 times in the NBA Finals — is “always hotly contested.”
Nets beat Knicks once more
Brooklyn Nets coach Jacque Vaughn mentioned that “generational” rivalry made his team’s crosstown rivalry with the New York Knicks look puny — an impression that only increased when the Nets notched a ninth straight win over the Knicks, 122-115.
With superstar Kevin Durant and teammate Ben Simmons sidelined by injury, Kyrie Irving scored 32 points, coming alive with 21 fourth-quarter points as the Nets held on, even after the Knicks — who trailed by as many as 19 — cut the deficit to three points with 3:07 to play.
Irving posted his sixth straight game of 30 or more points.
Elsewhere, Chris Paul scored 31 points and Mikal Bridges added 25 as the Phoenix Suns spoiled San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich’s 74th birthday with a 128-118 overtime victory over the Spurs.
Phoenix never trailed, but the Spurs forced overtime with a late surge in regulation before Bridges and Paul scored eight points apiece in the extra session and the Suns escaped.
In Atlanta, Kawhi Leonard scored 32 points and Paul George added 23 to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a fifth straight victory, 120-113 over the Hawks.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed)
