LOS ANGELES – Great recognises great, that was how it was like in the National Basketball Association on Jan 16.
Joel Embiid conjured a second straight 40-point performance to outduel Nikola Jokic, as the Philadelphia 76ers beat NBA champions the Denver Nuggets 126-121 at home.
A heavyweight showdown pitting reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Embiid against Denver’s two-time MVP Jokic did not disappoint as the two teams went toe-to-toe from the outset.
Embiid, who scored 41 points on his return from injury in the Sixers’ win over Houston a day earlier, was once again in superb form, finishing with 41 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists.
The 29-year-old was imperious down the stretch, scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter as Philadelphia transformed a six-point deficit into victory.
“I’m just letting the game come to me but the credit goes to my teammates – they put me in the best position to succeed and they trust me, that’s the key. I would not be doing what I’m doing without the trust they have in me,” he said, after a game watched by a sellout crowd of 19,775 at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Centre.
Embiid embraced Jokic following the final buzzer, sharing a friendly exchange after a hard-fought game.
“I just told him he’s the best player in the league,” Embiid said.
“He won a championship, and that’s the best team in the league and he’s a finals MVP. I just told him to keep going.”
The game had been finely poised at 111-111 with just over seven minutes remaining.
Embiid re-entered the fray just after Jokic checked back in from the bench, and it was the Cameroon-born power forward who ultimately seized control of the contest.
He received scoring support from Tyrese Maxey with 25 points – including four three-pointers – while Tobias Harris pitched in with 24 points. Kelly Oubre Jr added 11.
Jokic led the Denver scoring with 25 points, 19 rebounds and three assists, while Michael Porter Jr finished with 20 points and Jamal Murray added 17.
Philadelphia improved to 26-13 to remain in third place in the Eastern Conference standings, trailing leaders Boston (31-9), with Milwaukee second on 28-12.
Denver stay third in the Western Conference on 28-14, behind Minnesota (28-11) and Oklahoma City (27-12).
In another game, the Phoenix Suns produced an extraordinary rally to eclipse the Sacramento Kings 119-117 in Arizona.
Phoenix looked to be heading for defeat as they trailed by 22 points with 8min 22sec left. But an incredible 32-8 run in the final minutes turned the game on its head to seal a remarkable comeback.
Kevin Durant sparked the rally for Phoenix with 15 points in the fourth quarter, part of a 27-point haul. Grayson Allen led the Suns scoring with 29 points.
Asked how Phoenix had pulled off their win, Durant replied: “I have no clue. I usually know how the game formed, but this was just a blur. Everything happened so fast. I guess we were all in the zone and locked in.”
Elsewhere, Paul George finished with 38 points as the Los Angeles Clippers swept to a 128-117 home win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. AFP
