76ers vs. Lakers: 3 Things That Stood Out on Sunday

What stood out for the Sixers in their matchup against the Lakers?

The Philadelphia 76ers closed their back-to-back on Sunday night with a matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers on the road. Coming off of a tight win against the Utah Jazz, the Sixers found themselves in a similar predicament on Sunday night.

Unlike Saturday’s game, though, Sunday’s matchup was tight from start to finish. With both teams finding success on offense, the Sixers and the Lakers traded baskets, with the biggest lead of the night coming from the Sixers, which was by just eight points.

With the score tied 18 times and the lead changing over 20 times, the Sixers and the Lakers went down to the wire for the second time this season. In their first outing back in December, the Sixers squeezed out a win in overtime over Los Angeles.

This time around, no overtime was needed for a Philadelphia victory. With a 113-112 win, the Sixers started their West Coast trip on a high note, snagging their second-straight win to collect No. 27 on the year.

Here’s what stood out in the victory over the Lakers on Sunday:

A New (Old) Starting Five?

Since the Sixers got healthy, Doc Rivers looked to go back to the early-season starting five of Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, PJ Tucker, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey. Prior to Maxey and Harden’s notable injuries early on, the Sixers struggled a lot on the defensive end of the floor.

When the lineups were shaken up due to absences because of injuries, the Sixers improved a lot on the defensive end of the floor. Then when the starting five reverted back to its original form, the defensive struggles popped up once again.

On Sunday, Rivers had Maxey come off the bench, allowing De’Anthony Melton to start for the 30th time this year. Despite finding himself in a different role coming off the bench, Maxey still checked in for nearly 33 minutes. He got up 13 shots from the field, scoring 16 points, leading Philly’s bench in the win.

The Stars Trade Baskets

The Sunday night battle between the Sixers and the Lakers surely wasn’t short on entertainment. Both teams had some very shining moments, and both teams saw their stars put on a show. For the Lakers, LeBron James continued climbing the scoring ranks.

Putting up 23 shots from the field, James was highly-efficient on Sunday, scoring 35 points. He collected a double-double by dishing out ten assists and nearly snagged a triple-double by coming down with eight rebounds.

On the other end, Joel Embiid matched The King’s scoring production. With 21 shots of his own, Embiid hit on 12 twos, two threes, and nine free throws, tying LeBron at 35 points total. Embiid also collected the double-double by grabbing 11 boards. 

Another Solid Fourth Quarter

Following Saturday’s Sixers victory in Utah, I referred to James Harden’s fourth-quarter showing as a masterclass as he scored 18 points in 11 minutes. Harden didn’t mirror that production in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, but he had another efficient showing when it mattered most in LA.

In the final nine minutes he spent on the floor, Harden chucked up five shots from the field. He hit on three of his attempts, dropping his long three-point attempt. Harden would finish the fourth quarter with seven points. In addition, he produced five assists.

Harden wasn’t the only key fourth-quarter producer on Sunday. Tyrese Maxey, who came off the bench to start the game, picked up 12 minutes of playing time over Melton down the stretch. The decision ended up paying off as Maxey went 2-4 from the field and 3-4 from the charity stripe to collect seven points. Maxey and Harden totaled for 14 of Philadelphia’s 29 fourth-quarter points. Outscoring the Lakers by two points in the final quarter, the Sixers made it out of Los Angeles with a solid win.