{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
National Basketball Association
Philadelphia 126, L.A. Lakers 121
When: 10:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
Officials: #54 Ray Acosta, #36 Brent Barnaky, #4 Sean Wright
Attendance: 18997

Joel Embiid scored a game-high 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, James Harden added 24 points and the visiting Philadelphia 76ers escaped a test from a Los Angeles Lakers squad playing without LeBron James, prevailing 126-121 on Wednesday.

James was a late scratch from the Lakers' lineup with left knee soreness, but Dwight Howard helped pick up the slack in his absence. Howard scored 24 points -- his most in a game since November 2018 -- and matched Russell Westbrook for the top mark on the team Wednesday.

Behind the veteran duo, Los Angeles went into the fourth quarter trailing by just two points. The Lakers remained within striking distance throughout the final period, but they could never quite bridge the gap.

Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris backed Embiid and Harden with 21 and 20 points, respectively. Maxey also dished seven assists and grabbed five rebounds to finish the night with a rating of plus-17, second on the Philadelphia roster only to Harris' plus-20.

Maxey and Harris keyed a crucial Sixers run late, as Austin Reaves scored on a putback with 5:31 remaining in regulation that pulled the Lakers within 107-104. Harris scored on the ensuing Philadelphia possession, then rebounded a missed free-throw attempt by Howard.

Maxey added a bucket on the other end, then hit a 3-pointer following a Lakers turnover. The quick 7-1 burst gave the Sixers some cushion down the stretch, and Los Angeles was unable to pull within a single possession the rest of the way.

Los Angeles finished with the edge in points in the paint at 66-60 and connected on one more 3-point attempt than Philadelphia. The Sixers shot 10 of 27 from the deep, and the Lakers went 11 of 30.

Los Angeles also dominated in bench points, with Malik Monk's 23 and Carmelo Anthony's 20 pacing the Lakers' reserves to 48 total. Philadelphia's reserves finished with 27 points, led by Georges Niang and DeAndre Jordan each with nine.

However, the Sixers' 22-of-28 to 10-of-16 advantage at the free-throw line made a big difference, as well.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Philadelphia   L.A. Lakers
Joel Embiid 30 Scoring Dwight Howard 24
James Harden 7 Assists Stanley Johnson 8
Joel Embiid 10 Rebounds Wenyen Gabriel 9
James Harden 9 Free Throws Made Dwight Howard 6
Joel Embiid 3 Steals Malik Monk 2
Joel Embiid 3 Blocks Wenyen Gabriel 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Philadelphia 126 51.6 10-27 22-28 26 43 5 7 7
L.A. Lakers 121 51.5 11-30 10-16 25 45 3 6 12
Upcoming Games
  • L.A. Lakers will play their next game on the road against New Orleans. The Lakers have a W/L % of .323 after a win and .500 after a loss.
  • Philadelphia will play their next game on the road against L.A. Clippers. The 76ers have a W/L % of .568 after a win and .714 after a loss.