Embiid scores 41 as 76ers top Pacers

PHILADELPHIA

Joel Embiid made his closing argument for MVP votes and improved his chances of winning the NBA scoring title, scoring 41 points while collecting 20 rebounds and dishing out four assists to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 133-120 victory Saturday over the Indiana Pacers.

Embiid shot 14 for 17 from the floor, went 11 of 15 from the foul line and made both his three-point attempts in a game that Philadelphia (50-31) needed to win to remain alive in the hunt for the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

James Harden had 22 points and 14 assists for Philadelphia, who also got double-digit point performances from Tobias Harris (18), Tyrese Maxey (18) and Danny Green (15).

Embiid entered Saturday as the leader in the NBA scoring title race with a 30.4 points-pergame average, ahead of Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo at 29.9 points a game. He has been considered one of main contenders for the league's MVP honor, along with Antetokounmpo and Denver's Nikola Jokic. Saturday's game was Embiid's 13th scoring 40 or more points.

The Sixers can move up to the third seed in the East and a first-round matchup with Chicago with a victory over Detroit on Sunday and a Boston loss at Memphis.