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The return of JoJo meant the Sixers would go on to pull through with a 119-113 road victory over the Clippers, in a game that saw some heated encounters down the stretch.
In the fourth quarter, Joel Embiid and Pat Beverley engaged a heated scuffle which required the referees and teammates to separate them both. Moments later, Clippers guard Avery Bradley and Sixers' Jimmy Butler were fighting for a rebound position when they got tied up, leading to a shoving match and both players being ejected.
"A lot of contact," Butler said. "The game was getting so chippy anyway. Then it happened. It happened so fast, I don't even know what really happened.
Nevertheless, the Sixers sneaked away with a good road win, which takes their win-loss record to 24-14 (0.632), currently in the fourth position out East. They have now won five of their last ten matchups and are 3.5 games below the apex.
On the other hand, the Clippers have now dropped their two most recent games after winning two straight, and find themselves in a 4-6 (win-loss) hole across the previous ten clashes. The defeat has sent them sliding down to the sixth position on the West leaderboard, hosting a 21-16 (0.568) on the season, now 4 games behind the West leaders in Denver Nuggets.
Let' draw out some key takeaways from this hard-fought Sixers win as they finish their five-game road trip:
#1 Joel Embiid makes his presence felt after return from injury
With Embiid out in the previous game with knee soreness, the Sixers had a pretty tough time dealing with the Trailblazers, losing by 34 points in the end.
JoJo was a game-time decision this time around and ended up recording his NBA-leading 32nd double-double of 28 points and 19 rebounds (four of which were on the offensive glass) along with 3 blocks to go with.
He was the sole dominant entity from Philly down low even though LA outscored the visitors 60-48 in the paint. The Cameroonian shot 9-of-19 and also hit two three-pointers in the 35 minutes he was on the court.
"My goal is to be dominant every game," Embiid said. "If I dominate, the numbers will come, but most important is that we win."
This game-high total by JoJo also meant that he crossed the 3,000-point mark in his career, as his points per game average (26.5) this season is the 8th best right now.
#2 The Clippers' long-range shooting was surprisingly disappointing
Doc Rivers' team is shooting an unexpectedly great 38% from the distance this season, which is the third-best conversion rate from deep this year around. With no legit star players to show on their roster, the Clippers have really broken all stereotypes and emerged as a collectively sound unit.
However, this game would tell a different story altogether, as they shot a sorrowful 5-of-25 from deep, bringing their three-point percentage down to a dismal 20% against the Sixers. Although they shot a decent 46.2% from the field, no Clippers player could make more than a couple of three-pointers.
Top-scorers Danilo Gallinari and Tobias Harris went 2-of-6 and 1-of-4 from distance respectively. Former Sixth Man of the year and Clippers' backbone, Lou Williams attempted eight three-pointers but could only convert one, ending the game with a team-high total of 22 points somehow.
#3 Six of the Sixers finished with at least 10 points while three of the five Clippers' starters scored in single-digits
Except for Wilson Chandler (who scored 7 points), rest of the starters finished with at least 14 points each, led by Embiid's total of 28. Redick and Butler ended up with 18 & 16 points respectively while Simmons put up all-around numbers again with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists to his name.
TJ McConnell and Muscala combined for 21 points coming off the bench and provided valuable minutes. McConnell ended up chipping in four of the team's seven steals of the game. Bolden was perfect 4-of-4 against LA, scoring 9 points and pulling down six boards to go with it.
Although the Clippers outscored the Sixers 55-43 in the second tough, the toughness of Philly is what saw them through in times of distress,
"Give Philly credit," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "They were the instigator all game. They deserved to win. They played harder for longer."
Guess the Lakers players!
