Embiid scores 45 as Sixers overcome Heat in overtime

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid had 45 points and 16 rebounds, Dakota Mathias’ only basket of the game was a go-ahead 3pointer with 26.1 seconds left and the Philadelphia 76ers hung on to beat the undermanned Miami Heat 137-134 in overtime on Tuesday night.

Embiid carried the Sixers with a perfect third quarter and clutch buckets in OT to put them on the brink of victory.

It was little-known Mathias with the stunner that won it. Mathias, who signed with the Sixers as a two-way G League player, got the ball at the top of the arc and buried the shot for a 134-132 lead.

With Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic among the Heat sitting out for COVID-related reasons, they pushed the Sixers into OT with a mad-dash end to the fourth.

Embiid buried a jumper just inside the 3-point arc with 3.3 seconds left that tied it 120-120 and sent the game into overtime. It was his only bucket of the fourth after he made all eight shots in the third.

NETS 122, NUGGETS 116

Kevin Durant had 34 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds and Bruce Brown hit big shots while starting for the absent Kyrie Irving as Brooklyn rallied from 18 down to beat visiting Denver.

Brown scored 16 points, including the tying and go-ahead baskets down the stretch.

Nikola Jokic had 23 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Nuggets, who were trying to sweep a three-game road trip.

SPURS 112, THUNDER102

Lonnie Walker IV scored 24 points, and San Antonio beat Oklahoma City to finish a five-game trip with four victories.

Keldon Johnson added 18 points for the Spurs, who committed a seasonlow four turnovers.

PACERS 104, WARRIORS 95

Myles Turner scored nine of his 22 points in the fourth quarter as Indiana rallied to win at San Francisco.

JAZZ 117, CAVALIERS 87

Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points and Utah rolled past Cleveland, wrapping up their sixgame road trip with a 4-2 record.

POSTPONEMENT TOLL AT 5

The NBA says Wednesday’s game between the Utah Jazz and the Washington Wizards has been postponed because of COVID-19 protocols.

The league says because of contact tracing, the Wizards don’t have the required eight available players to take the floor for their scheduled home game against the Jazz.

The postponement is the fifth in the NBA since Sunday, including three involving the Boston Celtics.

The latest is Wednesday’s home game against Orlando.