The 76ers came out feeding Embiid in the post with 4 points early and two quick trips to the line but the defense was still loosey-goosey. DeMar DeRozan was 5-7 with 11 points in the quarter while Rudy Gay added another 11 of his own going 4-6 from the field. Josh Richardson was very aggressive leading the Sixers with 10 first-quarter points. He struggled percentage-wise but finished with 19 points.
First Quarter Score: Sixers 35 – Spurs 32
The Spurs cooled off early in the second quarter as Tobias Harris and his 13 first-half points lead the way for the Sixers. The lead was pushed to 8 but they eventually blew it with a continued lackadaisical defense. DeRozan and Gay added to their totals combining for 32 first-half points. Al Horford, a +17 for the game, was a fundamentally sound as Shake Milton seemed to be heating up. Little did we know just how impactful he would be in this game.
Halftime Score: Sixers 62 – Spurs 60
Simmons had 3 fouls in the first half which is exactly how he opened the third quarter adding his 4th foul. He went right to the bench not to return until 4:07 left in the quarter. Embiid was dominant in the quarter with 10 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and a block. The defense picked up big time as the Sixers were able to end the quarter with a 12 point lead. Ben who has struggled defensively picked up his 5th foul too.
Third Quarter Score: Sixers 99 – Spurs 87
The Spurs made a 7-0 run early in the which once again gave them life. The Sixers’ terrible perimeter defense with major mental lapses continued as they gave up 43 4th quarter points to the Spurs. Brett Brown has some very questionable lineup decisions late in the 4th quarter (Neto & Kork?). Things were beginning to unravel as Ben Simmons fouled out with 2:12 to go in the game. DeMar DeRozan, who finished with 30 points, gave the Spurs a 4 point lead with 1 minute to go. After a Tobias Harris (25PTS) dunk and a Joel Embiid (27PTS) free throw, the Sixers had the ball down 2 with 10.4 seconds left…GUESS WHO?!?!
SHAKE MILTON, who finished with 16 points, hits the game-winning three-pointer to save the Sixers!
FINAL SCORE: Sixers 132 – Spurs 130
Freddy Burns
Co-Host & Writer for Edge of Philly Sports
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