Denver Nuggets made a wild comeback and stunned the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center (114-110).
The Nuggets trailed by as many as 19 in the first half, but turned things around to upset the Sixers. Denver scored 33 points in the fourth quarter (33-22), including some clutch plays in crunch time, to seal the deal.
Nikola Jokic flirted with the triple double, posting 22 points (8/16 shooting), 13 rebounds and eight assists. Four more players scored in double figures for the winners.
On the other hand, Joel Embiid led the way in scoring for Philadelphia with 34 points (11/20 shooting) and nine boards. James Harden added 24 points (on just 6/11 shooting), 11 assists and nine rebounds.
This was the first matchup between Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid since December 2019. The two superstars are the grand favorites to win the MVP award.
For its part, Denver snapped a two-game skid and improved to 41-28. They remained sixth in the West and are still fighting for a place in the postseason. The Nuggets emerged victorious in an intense matchup that head coach Michael Malone called a ‘playoff game’.
Michael Malone tells media postgame that @nuggets – @sixers matchup was a 'playoff game' Denver came back from down 19 to win it by four (114-110) #MileHighBasketball — Hedge_out (@hedge_out) March 15, 2022
On the other hand, Philadelphia dropped to 41-26 and has now lost two of its last three. After the game, head coach Doc Rivers took blame for James Harden taking only two shots in the fourth quarter. Harden took only 11 shots in the contest.
Up next, the Sixers travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers, while the Nuggets will battle the Wizards in Washington. Both games will take place on Wednesday.
Doc Rivers says it's on him that @JHarden13 didn't take many shots in the fourth quarter. Harden had 24 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, on just 6/11 shooting#Sixers — Hedge_out (@hedge_out) March 15, 2022
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