PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid flipped the ball over his head, De’Anthony Melton put on a dribble move, and the shot went splash.
Perhaps the only thing “wrong” with that highlight play was that James Harden did not provide the assist. But Embiid complemented Harden’s steady dose of helpers with a dash of flair, capping the 76ers’ unbelievable turnaround in a 119-114 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center to extend their winning streak to seven games.
Harden, though, keyed the Sixers’ comeback from 20 down in the first half with a career-high 21 assists. He added 20 points and 11 rebounds to record his first triple-double of the season. His 10th rebound, fittingly, came on a missed Kawhi Leonard free throw that would have cut the Sixers’ lead to two points with less than 30 seconds to play.
Harden’s 21 assists tied the franchise record held by Wilt Chamberlain and Maurice Cheeks. Cheeks was the last to do it on Oct. 30, 1982.
After primarily feasting on injured and/or struggling opponents during this homestand’s first six games, the Sixers made a statement against a Clippers team that, when healthy, is expected to contend in the Western Conference.
But after taking a 99-90 lead with less than nine minutes remaining, the Sixers needed to hold off the Clippers.
Leonard used two consecutive old-fashioned three-point plays to even the score, 103-103, midway through the fourth quarter, before a Nicolas Batum 3-pointer gave the Clippers a 108-107 edge with less than four minutes to play.
But the Sixers answered with 10 consecutive points, including Melton’s 3-pointer and a pair of Harden free throws.
Los Angeles led by as many as 20 points in the second quarter, when Paul George buried a 3-pointer and a Clippers supporter in the crowd hollered “It’s over!”
Instead, that ignited the Sixers’ charge.
They outscored the Clippers, 45-22, over the next 16 minutes of game action. The Sixers tied the score, 77-77, on an Embiid dunk late in the third, took an 83-80 lead on two Embiid free throws and were tied at 85 heading to the final period.
Embiid, meanwhile, finished with 44 points and seven rebounds and was the primary source of offense in the first half.
The Clippers also got big performances from their stars. Leonard finished with 28 points and five assists in just his 13th game of the season, while Paul George totaled 22 points, going 3 of 10 from 3-point range.
The Sixers next play a marquee Christmas Day game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks entered Friday with eight wins in their last nine games.
Harden’s career night
Harden’s masterful playmaking since becoming a Sixer hit its highest gear yet Friday night.
He set a new career high in that category on an Embiid layup with less than seven minutes to play, then notched his 20th on an Embiid jumper that gave the Sixers a 105-103 advantage about a minute later. He also assisted Tobias Harris’ go-ahead 3-pointer with less than four minutes to play.
Harden also hit a 3-pointer to cut the Clippers’ lead to 74-69 with about five minutes to play in the third quarter, then dished to De’Anthony Melton for a deep shot that got the Sixers within two.
That came after Harden went 5 of 14 from the floor in the first half, but did total 10 assists.
Bench burst
A significant reason for the Sixers’ rally: Their bench rallied after a first half during which they were outscored 24-4.
Shake Milton (13 points), in particular, caught fire after missing five of his six first-half shots. He gave the Sixers an 81-80 lead on a layup with less than two to play in the third quarter, then tied the game at 85 with a driving layup in the period’s final minute.
Then, he scored seven consecutive points early in the fourth, before Georges Niang (11 points, four rebounds) banged home a 3-pointer that put the Sixers up 97-89 with less than 10 minutes remaining.
Norman Powell anchored the Clippers’ second unit with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, four rebounds and four assists.
First-half struggles
In the first half, the Clippers carved up a Sixers defense that entered Friday ranked second in the NBA in efficiency, allowing just 107.9 points per 100 possessions.
Los Angeles shot 61% before the break to build the big cushion, including 10 of 19 from 3-point range.
