Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers (Rob Carr/Getty Images/AFP file photo)
LOS ANGELES – Tobias Harris drove in the final dagger as the Philadelphia 76ers thwarted a late Los Angeles Lakers rally to hand the reigning NBA champions their first road defeat of the season — 107-106.
In a bruising heavyweight clash, the Eastern Conference leading Sixers made a statement against the league-leading Lakers.
Joel Embiid scored 28 points, Ben Simmons notched a triple-double of 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists and Harris, fed by Seth Curry, sealed the victory with a pull-up jump shot with three seconds remaining.
𝙶𝙰𝙼𝙴 𝙷𝙸𝙶𝙷𝙻𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃𝚂
Los Angeles Lakers | 01.27.21
📼 presented by @PALottery pic.twitter.com/yN0RFc8L9s
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 28, 2021
The Lakers, who had won a franchise-best 10 road games to start the season, nearly kept the streak alive despite trailing by 14 points in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers, down by 12 with 3:07 remaining, produced a 13-0 scoring run launched by Alex Caruso’s finger-roll layup.
After three-pointers from Caruso, Dennis Schroder and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Anthony Davis gave the Lakers a 106-105 lead on a layup set up by LeBron James.
After a timeout, Philadelphia inbounded the ball with 11.2 seconds remaining. They got the ball to Harris, who drove left and fired.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/AFP / file photo)
Davis’s desperation heave from halfcourt as time expired was never close.
James, coming off a 46-point performance at Cleveland on Monday, led the Lakers with 34 points, Davis added 23 and Schroder had 16.
“Got eyes on the rim & just let it go.”
🗣 @tobias31 on the game winning shot and how this team came through with a win. pic.twitter.com/gzRIkUZe3V
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 28, 2021
Cameroonian center Embiid got an injury scare in the third quarter, when he came down hard on the small of his back after he was pushed by James as he rose for a dunk.
James was assessed a flagrant foul and Embiid, who missed the 76ers’ previous game with back tightness, gingerly tested himself after he rose but stayed in the game.