Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers (112-108) and secured their place in the playoffs.
Embiid went for a game-high 44 points (12/26 shooting), 17 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 blocks in 38 minutes on the floor. This was the 11th game for Joel Embiid this season with 40+ points and 10+ rebounds.
For his part, James Harden posted a triple double for the winners, with 21 points (4/13 shooting, 2/7 from beyond the arc), 10 boards and 10 assists.
On the other hand, five Cavs players scored in double figures, with Darius Garland leading the way with 23 points (7/18 shooting, 3/5 from beyond the arc).
Cleveland led by as many as 12 in the contest, but the Sixers turned things around. It was a hard-fought battle with 14 lead changes and 11 ties.
With Joel Embiid being unstoppable and with some clutch plays in crunch time, Philadelphia claimed a big road win, its 26th this season (26-13). The Sixers also swept the season series with the Cavaliers (4-0).
Joel Embiid and the Sixers improved to 48-30 and clinched their spot in the postseason. They now are fourth in the East, two games behind conference leaders Miami Heat (50-28).
On the other hand, the Cavaliers dropped to 43-36, but still hold the top spot in the play-in tournament. Cleveland is fighting for a guaranteed spot in the playoffs, as they are 2.5 games behind sixth-placed Chicago Bulls (45-33).
Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers will take on the Indiana Pacers twice (road, home), Toronto Raptors (road) and Detroit Pistons (home) in the final week of the regular season.
For its part, Cleveland will play the Orlando Magic (road), Brooklyn Nets (road) and Milwaukee Bucks (home) in the remaining regular season games.
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