Jokic, Nuggets hold off 76ers
Nikola Jokic and the defending NBA champions Denver Nuggets held off a Philadelphia 76ers team without star centre Joel Embiid, earning a 111-105 win on Saturday.
Embiid, the league’s reigning most valuable player, was a late scratching for the visiting 76ers with left knee soreness, sitting out after going through his pregame workout.
It is the fourth straight season that Embiid has missed a chance to go face-to-face with twotime MVP Jokic in Denver.
Philadelphia, which beat Denver at home earlier this month, was also without injured pair Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris but pushed the Nuggets all the way in a close affair.
Jokic put up 26 points and 16 rebounds while Jamal Murray scored 23 points and Michael Porter Jr scored 20 for Denver, who led 64-62 at the half.
Paul Reed made an alley oop lay-up to make it a four-point game with 24 seconds remaining but after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope drained two free throws, Murray blocked Marcus Morris’s three-point attempt.
Reed led the Sixers with 30 points and added 13 rebounds while Kelly Oubre had 25 points.
Jokic said he wasn’t surprised that a depleted Philadelphia put up such a good fight.
“They have a really professional bench, pros that are playing in the league for such a long time and a couple of rookies or players who don’t play that much and wanted to show that they can play, they fight.
“It was the first game after a long road trip, a tough one but in the end, the second half was amazing for us,” he added.
Embiid came on court at the end of the game and chatted with Jokic.