OKC falls short against Embiid, 76ers to snap win streak
It was a Philadelphian utopia. Patrick Beverly hustle plays and assists out of hard closeouts, Paul Reed knocking down corner 3s, Robert Covington morphing into prime Robert Covington.
By then, Oklahoma City was well removed from its worries of the regularly scheduled programming of stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Virtually everything had gone right for the Sixers out of the half. And almost nothing had gone right, plunging the Thunder to a 127-123 loss Saturday.
Outside of Holmgren, who'd erupted for 12 early quarter points and scored a chunk of his 33 points — which he paired with six rebounds, three blocks and four 3s — in the third, Oklahoma City couldn't get anything to fall. It shot 29.6% from the field in the third quarter, which included Holmgren's efficient outburst.
On the other side, the Sixers knock down one timely jumper after another. Its wings lit up the corners. Embiid, despite two-big lineups, eased into his sluggish and calculated midrange jumpers. He finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists while shooting 13 of 15 from the free-throw line.
Maxey, of course, helped. He delivered 28 points, eight boards and got downhill and to the free-throw line at a similar rate as Embiid.
But the Sixers took turns dotting around the OKC defense, toying with late lineups that featured Davis Bertans. On the other end, it ran shooters like Isaiah Joe off the line — who finished just 3 for 12 from deep — and cruised past lineups mostly filled with less-than-ideal self creators before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren's late returns.
Despite SGA's late run of free throws (31 points, six boards, five assists), Philly held off any late OKC push.