Sixers Take Care of Lakers
By: Yusuf House
PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia 76ers handily defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in front of a sellout home crowd. The Sixers new and improved lineup was too much for the Lakers as Philly cruised to a 143-120 win. Despite a monster night from Kyle Kuzma, the 76ers depth proved to be too much for the Lakers.
Kuzma started the night on fire going off for 23 points alone in the first quarter. Kuzma finished with 39 points, shooting 66% from the field; however it wasn’t enough as the Sixers balanced team play led them to victory.
Recent Sixer acquisitions were critical as they were able to provide needed scoring as the game progressed. Before the trade deadline Sixers General Manager, Elton Brand, made roster additions that included Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, Mike Scott, James Ennis, and Jonathan Simmons. On these moves Brand mentioned, “We believe we are in position to contend now," Brand said, "and our moves reflect that belief."
The addition of Tobias Harris was immediately felt as he paced the Sixers with 14 points on 6 for 7 shooting in the opening quarter. Harris finished with 22 points and 6 rebounds. Following the game Harris stated “I love it. I think as we continue to build our chemistry and grow, it’s only going to be something that, every single night, we’re out here playing for something bigger. Even being in the huddle with the team. We’re not really playing these games just to win. We’re playing them to win, but also be the best team that we can be all around.”
The Sixers began to impose their will on the Lakers in the second quarter. Joel Embiid dropped 17 points in the second after finding his rhythm and JJ Reddick continued his hot shooting streak and added 10 points in the second. Reddick helped the Sixers close the first half on a 19-6 run as he had a huge four-point play. He finished with 21 points, two rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes of play. The 21 points extended his career-long double-figure points streak to 61 games.
Joel finished with 37 points and 14 rebounds as the Lakers big men struggled to defend him. The 37 points and 14 rebounds gave him his league-leading 46th double-double of the season. This was his eighth straight game with a double-double, dating back to Jan. 21 against Houston. Embiid now has league-best 23 games with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.
Embiid sounded optimistic on his teams new look stating five, “We’ve got a long way to go, but I think the potential we have, especially come playoff time. We got to keep working, keep getting better and learn how to play with each other.”
Up next both teams return to action on Tuesday as the Sixers face the Celtics and the Lakers face the Hawks.