Joel Embiid had 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, his first triple-double of the season, and the Philadelphia 76ers closed the third quarter on a 15-5 run to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 127-116.
It was tied at 82 when Embiid’s two free throws put the 76ers ahead for good with 3:24 left in the third quarter. Tyrese Maxey scored seven points as they pulled away to a 97-87 lead after three quarters, and they led by as many as 16 in the fourth quarter.
The Bucks got within 117-114 on Kel'el Ware’s three-point play with 2:02 to play, but Jaylen Brown answered with a 3-pointer, and the Bucks got no closer.
Brown had 27 points and three steals. Maxey added 26 points, and VJ Edgecombe had 17 points and 13 rebounds. The 76ers had three 20-point scorers.
For the Bucks, Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 21 points and eight rebounds, and Ware added 19 points and 13 rebounds off the bench. The Bucks had eight players in double-digit scoring.
The Bucks committed 22 turnovers to the 76ers’ 11 and outscored them 58-26 in the paint.