At the Buzzer:
After Thursday's 108-104 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder (38-23), the 76ers (40-22) will return to South Philadelphia with a perfect 2-0 southern road trip in the bag.
Thursday’s win marked the Sixers’ first ever in Oklahoma City, and snapped a 19-game overall skid against the team.
In the absence of Joel Embiid (knee soreness), Tobias Harris stepped up again.
Shooting 5 for 7 from beyond the 3-point arc, Harris finished with 32 points - his highest total yet since joining the Sixers. He’s now tallied 20 points in each of his last five games, and also supplied five rebounds, and three assists versus the Thunder.
At no point during Thursday’s contest were Harris’ contributions more critical than late in the four quarter. With five minutes to go and the score tied at 93-93, he snapped off the first eight points of a pivotal 10-0 run that helped nudge the Sixers to their narrow win.
With the Sixers opening hot by taking a 37-26 lead after the first quarter, every starter ultimately had double-digit performances.
Ben Simmons packed the stat sheet, collecting 11 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, two steals, and two blocks for his ninth triple-double of the season.
Jimmy Butler scored 20 points, adding eight rebounds and eight assists.
Jonah Bolden started for the second consecutive game, and produced a career-high tying 14 points and three rebounds, while JJ Redick netted 12 points, including two clutch free throws as time expired.
Newcomer Mike Scott delivered off the bench. He shot 3-7 from 3-point range, and registered nine points, three rebounds, and two blocks.
The Sixers were not alone missing their leading scorer, as Paul George rested (right shoulder) for the Thunder. In his absence, Jerami Grant and Russell Westbrook contributed 23 points apiece for OKC.
@Sixers Social:
Tobias Harris -- clutch.
Up Next:
The Sixers will host the Golden State Warriors (43-19) Saturday. Florida was not kind to the defending NBA champions, as they lost back-to-back games to the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Boasting a starting lineup of five All-Stars, Stephen Curry (28.3 ppg) and Kevin Durant (27.5 ppg) lead the league’s highest-scoring offense, which averages 118.6 points per game. The Sixers topped Golden State in their first meeting, 113-104, Jan. 31 at Oracle Arena.