It was a clutch finish for the 76ers (32-17), edging the San Antonio Spurs (27-22) behind a 10-0 game-ending surge in the final minutes Wednesday at The Center.
The stretch that sealed the deal started and ended with Ben Simmons, whose fingerprints were all over in the Sixers’ 122-120 victory.
After a Marco Belinelli 3-pointer with 2:48 remaining in the fourth quarter, an emphatic dunk from Simmons got the Sixers started.
The jam was followed by back-to-back threes, first from Landry Shamet, then another from JJ Redick, who was fouled by Rudy Gay for a 4-point play.
Wilson Chandler then blocked DeMar DeRozan’s shot to preserve the Sixers’ one-point margin.
With 1.1 seconds left, the Spurs fouled Corey Brewer, who made one of two from the line to give the Sixers a 122-120 lead.
Simmons had the last word, deflecting the Spurs’ final inbounds pass. He finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists — his eighth triple-double this season.
Joel Embiid led the contest with 33 points and 19 boards. Redick scored 19 points, while Brewer added nine points, two assists, and two steals in his second start as a Sixer.
In yet another impactful performance off the bench, Shamet scored 14 points, while T.J. McConnell scored 10.
The Spurs were led by DeMar DeRozan, who scored 26 points and grabbed nine boards. In their win, the Sixers evened their series with the Spurs, 1-1.
Sixers Social:
Blocks on blocks on blocks.
Up Next:
The Sixers will set out on their four-game Western Conference trip beginning on Saturday, facing the Denver Nuggets (31-14). Saturday’s contest marks the first meeting between the Sixers and Nuggets this season. As of Wednesday, the Nuggets had won five of their last seven, fueled by Nikola Jokic, who leads his team in points (19.6), rebounds (10.0), assists (7.7), and steals (1.3). The Sixers bested the Nuggets in both of their meetings last season.