As the fight for the top spot in the eastern conference intensified, the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Chicago Bulls. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets have lost eight consecutive games in the NBA.
Joel Embiid’s 40-point performance in Chicago led to a win for the Sixers of 119-108, while the Denver Nuggets were defeated by the sliding Nets by Nikola Jokic with a triple-double from Nikola Jokic.
Jokic, the reigning league MVP, had 27 points and 12 rebounds as well as 10 assists in his NBA-leading 14th Triple-double.
Kyrie Irving scored 27 points and had 11 assists in Brooklyn’s short-handed Brooklyn, while Patty Mills, his back-court partner, added 14.
Halftime was 76-75 for the Nuggets. They won the game 31-16 in the third quarter. Brooklyn was held to 13 points in the fourth.
James Harden, Nets’ guard, missed his second consecutive game due to left hamstring tightness. Durant is still recovering from his MCL injury and has begun to return to basketball.
Mills stated, “The common thread isn’t having everyone and us finding methods to get better.”
“It was hard but there are no excuses. “We have to be proud of our ability to depend on each other.”
Philadelphia defeated two of the top east teams in the match-up, despite losing a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter.
They held on to the end to defeat the Bulls for their 10th consecutive win and improve their season record to 32-21.
Chicago (33-22) dropped to 2nd, half-game behind Miami (34-52) — meaning that Erik Spoelstra and his staff are going to Cleveland for the All-Star Game to oversee Team Durant.
Embiid did exactly what he wanted. He made 14 of 23 attempts and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Tobias Harris scored 23 points, while Tyrese Maxiey scored 16, helping the Sixers overcome losses against Washington and Dallas and win their sixth consecutive game.
DeMar DeRozan scored 45 points in the season-high, but it was not enough to win the game for the hosts. The All-Star guard was carrying a side that was without Zach LaVine (back spasms), and Coby White(strained right adductor).
The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Detroit Pistons, 118 to 105, to consolidate their seventh-place finish in the west, one spot behind Denver.
