Despite the nine games played earlier Wednesday evening (Nov. 15), the matchup everyone was salivating over was 76ers vs Lakers. These are the top young teams in each conference with players that ooze potential every time they stop on the court. Lots of rookies were on display in the two games, giving NBA fans a lot to tune in for on Wednesday night.
76ers (8-6) defeat Lakers (6-9) 115-109
Two years ago a marquee matchup that involved both the 76ers vs. Lakers would have sounded insane. But "The Process" is working for Philly and the young Lakers’ players have injected some life into the Staples Center.
The floor was filled with future (and maybe even current) superstars, making huge shots in a close game with the NBA world paying attention.
The 76ers jumped out to an early 20-9 advantage, but once the Lakers battled back, the two teams exchanged leads for much of the game. It was 29-26 Philadelphia after the first quarter, but the Lakers took the lead early in the second on a Corey Brewer layup. Justin Anderson scored five straight points to reclaim the 76ers' lead, and Philly held onto a four-point edge heading into halftime.
The two teams put on a show in the second half. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were absolutely amazing, but the Lakers, led by Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingrim, kept the score close.
Los Angeles had a one-point lead after the third quarter, but the fourth was all Embiid. The second-year phenom scored on an array of post moves at will. Los Angeles was last up with 5:06 to go, but from there, Embiid scored nine points to secure the six-point win for Philly.
Embiid finished with a jaw-dropping 46 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, and seven blocks, while rookie Simmons had 18 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists, and five steals.
The Lakers' rookie that everyone talks about is Lonzo Ball, but it was Kyle Kuzma who had 24 points and seven rebounds. Brandon Ingram had 26 points and 11 rebounds.
Check out a few of Embiid's highlights against the Lakers.
Trail Blazers (8-6) defeat Magic (8-7) 99-94
The upstart Magic took their show on-the-road to Portland, but couldn’t pull off the victory.
With the loss, Orlando has dropped three games in a row on their West Coast road trip. The Magic came out strong in the first period, scoring 33 points, but couldn’t maintain a nine-point lead. Orlando's shooting fell apart as they scored just 14 points in the second quarter. Portland got a huge lift off-the-bench from Shabazz Napier; he scored 11 points in the period to help the Trail Blazers take a four-point edge into the break.
Orlando never reclaimed the lead in the third quarter but kept the margin close. Two buckets by Sheldon Mack cut the Magic’s deficit to one and then Evan Fournier hit a three-point shot to grab the lead with 6:52 left. Portland snatched the lead right back with a Jusuf Nurkic bucket and ultimately held Orlando off to earn the five-point victory. Damian Lillard led the way for the Trail Blazers with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. CJ McCollum added 24 points. Magic guard, Evan Fournier, had a team-high 22 points.
