After 13 days, six games, and four wins on the road, the 76ers (33-15) are headed back to South Philadelphia on a high note.
To close the marathon trip, the Sixers notched a 114-94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers (17-31).
The Sixers took a two-point lead into the break, but a 27-17 third quarter advantage proved enough to put Cleveland at bay.
It was the Sixers’ bench that came up huge in the victory, out-scoring the Cavs’ bench, 65-26.
The Sixers outrebounded the Cavaliers, 55-40, giving up only 10 turnovers while Cleveland gave up 20.
Collin Sexton led the way for Cleveland, finishing with 24 points, three rebounds, and three assists.
Key Contributors:
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Shake Milton
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Milton scored a game-high 27 points, shooting 10-for-14 from the field and 5-for-7 from long range, plus five rebounds and four assists.
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Milton finished at a game-high +23.
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Seth Curry
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Curry got off to a hot start, scoring 11 of his 19 points in the first quarter alone. He hit three 3-pointers in the first period, shooting 5-for-10 overall from long range.
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Dwight Howard
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Howard tied his season-high of 18 points, finishing with an 18-point, 15-rebound double-double, plus a steal and two blocks.
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Matisse Thybulle
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Thybulle finished with five points, two rebounds, two steals, and a game-high three blocks, finishing at +18 in 25 minutes.
Quote to Note:
Howard put the league on notice.
Up Next:
The Sixers are headed home at last, where they’ll host the Timberwolves (12-36) and Grizzlies (22-23) for a Saturday-Sunday back-to-back.
The Timberwolves, currently holding the worst record in the NBA, have dropped five of their last seven.
The team won its most recent outing, though, topping the Knicks Wednesday, 102-101.
Karl-Anthony Towns leads the Wolves in scoring and rebounding, averaging 23.9 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.
Saturday’s meeting with the Timberwolves tips at 8:00 p.m. ET.