The Philadelphia 76ers went from less to more at Madison Square Garden to end up beating the New York Knicks 119-112 thanks to the great work of their star duo Joel Embiid and James Harden.
Embiid led his team to their eighth consecutive victory with 35 points and 8 rebounds through 12/22 shooting from the field, and ‘La Barba’ contributed a new double-double with 29 points and 13 basket passes.
Other Sixers standouts included De’Anthony Melton with 15 points and 5/7 on 3-pointers; and the reserve Georges Niang, decisive in the final stretch, with 16 points through a 4/6 from long distance.
“These 3-pointers… That’s been my gift to all the Philadelphia fans,” Niang said.
For their part, the New York Knicks experienced a real roller coaster of emotions that ended in their third straight loss. From leading by 14 points in the first half to sinking early in the fourth quarter making one bad decision following another.
Special mention for Julius Randle who started the match like a rocket with 25 of his 35 points in the first 24 minutes of play.
They also contributed double digit scorers Jalen Brunson (23 points and 11 assists); an unsuccessful RJ Barrett who finished with a 6/21 shot (17 points and 10 rebounds); and a Mitchell Robinson who shone until his foul problems arrived (10 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks).
The Philadelphians, who are 6-7 away from home, will continue their road trip at the Wizards arena on December 27. For their part, the Knickerbockers They will try to end their losing streak on December 28 by facing Luka Doncic’s Mavericks.
(Cover photo: Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
