FILE – Lamar Stevens #8 Dylan Windler #9 and Isaac Okoro #35 of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrate after Windler scored to end the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on February 24, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. Jason Miller/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Jason Miller / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Collin Sexton scored 28 points, Darius Garland added 25 points and nine assists and the depleted Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the host Philadelphia 76ers 112-109 in overtime Saturday.
Isaac Okoro had 15 points and eight rebounds, Jarrett Allen contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds and Damyean Dotson had 10 points for the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers had only nine players available with the likes of Kevin Love, Taurean Prince and Cedi Osman all out. Still, Cleveland managed to win its third in a row.
Collin Sexton (28 PTS) and Darius Garland (career-high 25 PTS) guide the @cavs to the win in OT! pic.twitter.com/KSu932TfDW
— NBA (@NBA) February 28, 2021
Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 42 points and 13 rebounds. Ben Simmons added 24 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Shake Milton had 11 points.
The Sixers, who played without Tobias Harris (right knee contusion), lost for only the third time at home all season.
When Dean Wade dropped in a 3-pointer from the top of the key, the Cavaliers pulled out to a 47-34 lead with 6:10 left in the second quarter.
Cleveland managed 17 fast-break points and held a surprising 56-47 lead at halftime thanks in large part to Sexton’s 16 points.
Embiid kept the Sixers relatively close with 21. But the Sixers struggled as a group and made only 3 of 11 shots from beyond the arc.
The Cavaliers missed their first seven shots to open the third and the Sixers crept closer, pulling within 58-53. After a Cleveland turnover, Danny Green made a trey and the deficit was just two.
Sexton converted a driving layup with 1.8 seconds remaining in the third and the Cavaliers led 72-70 at the end of the quarter.
Embiid’s short jumper pulled the Sixers within 81-80 with 6:40 to go in the fourth.
Sexton’s 3-pointer gave the Cavaliers a 92-90 lead with 1:46 remaining.
On the Sixers’ next possession, Embiid threw down a dunk to tie the game at 92.
Embiid missed a short jumper from the baseline at the buzzer and the game went to overtime.
Garland’s floater extended Cleveland’s advantage to 101-96 with 1:17 to go in overtime.
Embiid’s layup cut the deficit to 108-105 with 18.5 seconds left, but the Sixers were unable to string together a run down the stretch.