Joel Embiid kept getting shots and James Harden kept finding open teammates. The combination was almost unstoppable.
Embiid scored 42 points, Harden added 20 assists, 14 points and nine rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers broke open a close game with a decisive run in the fourth quarter to beat the Indiana Pacers 147-143 on Monday night.
“When you have a guy like Joel and a guy like James, it’s hard to hold them back,” Pacers guard TJ McConnell said.
In fact, it was almost impossible in a hugely entertaining game that was virtually devoid of defense. Both teams put up numbers more akin to an All-Star Game.
Embiid went 11-of-16 off the field, making all 19 free throw attempts and posting his 11th 40-point game this season. The 76ers shot 58.5 percent, had six players in double digits and three with 20 or more points — Tyrese Maxey scored 24 and Jalen McDaniels had 20.
Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid had another monstrous scoring night with 42 points
James Harden was one assist short for his highest assists in an NBA game (21)
The Pacers shot 58.9 percent with seven players in double figures — led by Tyrese Haliburton with 40 points and 16 assists — in their second home game since Feb. 16. Jordan Nwora added 16 points.
But a two-minute lapse of time was all Philadelphia needed.
“It was an offensive game,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. “But at the same time someone had to hold up defensively and we did that enough to win the game.”
With Philadelphia shooting 62.5 percent overall and from three-point range to the first half and the Pacers on 61.1 percent from the field over the same period, no one could take control.
Neither team led by more than six in the first three quarters. Early in the fourth inning, Shake Milton and De’Anthony Melton made consecutive baskets to give the 76ers a 122–118 lead. Daniel House Jr. followed with a three-pointer and Milton capped off the 10-0 run with another three to make it 128-118 with 7:49 left to play.
Indiana closed in 141-137 with 52.1 seconds left, but couldn’t get any closer.
“When they click like that, they’re a team that’s hard to beat,” said Haliburton. “It was all about who could make the most stops in a row. Usually it is three in a row. Tonight it was more like two in a row.’
Indiana honored David Benner, the longtime director of media relations, with a moment of silence before the game. Benner died last week at the age of 67 after a long illness.
The Pacers honored their longtime director of media relations David Benner, who died of illness
He joined the Pacers in 1994 after covering the team, Notre Dame football and Indiana University basketball for The Indianapolis Star.
There will be a memorial service at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday morning.
Actor Will Ferrell and rapper, actor and television producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson sat in court. Indiana honored the crew of the USS Indiana between the first and second quarters.
KELTICS 114-118 CAVALIERS
Donovan Mitchell scored 40 points and Lamar Stevens fueled Cleveland’s fourth-quarter comeback with his rush, helping the Cavaliers win 118-114 on Monday night against the Boston Celtics, who lost their second overtime game in less than 24 hours.
Evan Mobley added 25 points and 16 rebounds for the Cavs, who improved to 7-0 in OT as they avenged a loss in Boston five days ago.
Jaylen Brown scored 32 points and Malcolm Brogdon 24 for the Celtics, who didn’t arrive at their Cleveland hotel until 2:30 a.m. after losing to the New York Knicks in double overtime on Sunday.
The Celtics, who were without All-Star Game MVP Jayson Tatum, squandered a 14-run lead in the fourth inning and had a shot at winning it in the rules.
But Grant Williams missed two free throws with 0.8 seconds left and Boston’s Marcus Smart barely missed a tip-in at the horn.
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell scored 40 points in Cleveland’s revenge OT win vs. Boston
HEAT 130-128 HAWKS
Jimmy Butler had 26 points, Victor Oladipo and Caleb Martin combined for 43 off the bench, and Miami held off Atlanta.
Butler also had nine rebounds and nine assists for Miami, which won a two-game set against the Hawks. Bam Adebayo scored 16 points, Duncan Robinson had 14, Tyler Herro finished with 13, and the Heat set a season high with 59 bank points.
Trae Young scored 25 for Atlanta, who got 23 from Dejounte Murray and 17 each from Saddiq Bey and John Collins.
Miami (35-31) moved two-and-a-half games ahead of Atlanta in the race for the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference, winning the season series 3-1 – so the Heat would also win the tiebreaker over the Hawks. .
Victor Oladipo (center) scored 22 points off the bench for Miami in the Heat vs. Atlanta
NUGGETS 118-113 RAPTORS
Jamal Murray scored 24 points, Michael Porter Jr. had 20 and Denver scored the last six points of the game to beat Toronto.
Aaron Gordon added 19 points for the Nuggets, who won their ninth straight at home.
They improved to 24-1 in their last 25 games at Ball Arena. Nikola Jokic completed an assist for another triple-double. He had 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Fred VanVleet had 21 points for the Raptors. Pascal Siakam added 19.
VanVleet hit a pair of free throws as Toronto regained a one-run lead, but Denver scored the final six points, all on free throws, to secure the win.
Murray converted a free throw in that final play after Scottie Barnes was called for a technical and ejected by referee Scott Foster.
Jamal Murray (left) led Denver Nuggets to a win over the Toronto Raptors by 24 points
TRAIL BLAZERS 110-104 PISTONS
Damian Lillard had 31 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists, securing his second triple-double of the season before the end of the third quarter, and Portland defeated Detroit.
The dynamic guard scored 16 points in the first quarter to give the Trail Blazers a 31-18 lead, and they had little trouble maintaining a comfortable margin most of the night against a battered and collapsing team.
Detroit came within six points with 1:39 left to stir up the previously quiet fans, and Jerami Grant calmed them down with a three-pointer on the ensuing possession.
Grant finished with 26 points against his former team.
Isaiah Livers scored 17 for the Pistons, who have lost their season-high eight games in a row.
Portland’s Jerami Grant chased his former team with a 26-point performance vs. the Pistons
PELICANS 108-123 KINGS
Kevin Huerter scored 25 points, Domantas Sabonis had his eighth triple-double of the season and the Sacramento Kings defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 123-108 on Monday night.
Sabonis finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. He leads the NBA with 52 double-doubles.
Huerter added eight assists and five rebounds for the Kings (38-26). Sacramento has won six of its first seven games after the All-Star break.
The Kings defeated the Pelicans 38–20 in the third quarter after the game was tied at 59-all at halftime.
Davion Mitchell got the start for injured Kings star De’Aaron Fox and scored 15 points and added six assists. Trey Lyles scored 14 points from the bench.
Brandon Ingram scored 24 points for the Pelicans (31-34). New Orleans has lost six of its last seven games
Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis leads the NBA with 52 double-doubles after Monday’s game
.