Joel Embiid scored 44 points (26 in the paint), and the Philadelphia 76ers rallied from 20 points down in the second quarter to beat the LA Clippers 119-114 for their seventh straight win.
The 76ers trailed 58-38 with 3:37 left in the second quarter and 63-51 at halftime. They outscored the Clippers 81-56 the rest of the way.
During clutch time, the 76ers outscored the Clippers 14-7. Embiid (No. 8 in clutch points, 2022-23) scored 8 of the 76ers’ 14 on 3 for 3 shooting and 2 for 2 at the line. In the fourth quarter, James Harden had 5 of his 21 assists, 3 of them on baskets by Paul Reed, Embiid and Tobias Harris that put the 76ers ahead.
Harden had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 21 assists, his first triple-double of the season. Harden assisted on 11 of Embiid’s 18 baskets, 2 of them in the fourth quarter.
For the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points (14 on mid-range shots) on 12 for 19 shooting, and Paul George added 22 points. Norman Powell scored 21 points on 8 for 13 shooting off the bench. The Clippers had 3 20-point scorers.
The Clippers forced 9 turnovers, about 4 fewer than usual for this many possessions. The 76ers outscored the Clippers 58-28 in the paint. The Clippers did not make a field goal in the last 4:00. The 76ers outscored the Clippers 23-11 in 7 minutes with Harden, Harris, Embiid, Niang and Melton on the floor together.