Star Metro - Embiid leads Sixers to narrow win over Thunder

In addition to a near triple-double, the Sixers' reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Embiid delivered four blocked shots and a steal.

He went 19 of 21 from the free throw line, making six free throws in the final 9.8 seconds to hold off a determined young Thunder side that saw their winning streak halted at six games.

Up by nine with 49 seconds remaining, the Sixers saw their lead cut to 212-118 on rookie center Chet Holmgren's dunk with 11.1 seconds to go.

Embiid made two free throws, but Holmgren drained a three-pointer with 5.4 seconds left to cut the deficit to two.

After another pair of free throws from Embiid, Holmgren struck again with a dunk that shrunk the Sixers' lead to 125-123. But two more free throws from Embiid -- who stayed in the game after a hard fall in the final minute -- settled matters.

"Obviously he put the game away," Sixers coach Nick Nurse said of Embiid, praising not only his calm execution at the line but his ability to get open and draw the fouls.

But Nurse said in an NBA where late charges have become the norm, the Sixers have to finish better.

"Great performance, a lot of good stuff, et cetera," he said. "But as everybody's seeing around the league, there's a lot of wild finishes in the games. They're not over at nine points and a minute to go. We've got to make sure we stay locked in."

Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points and eight rebounds, and Tobias Harris added 16 points for Philadelphia.

Rookie center Holmgren delivered another impressive performance, leading the Thunder with 33 points to go with six rebounds and three blocked shots.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 for the Thunder and guard Josh Giddey finished with 10 points seven rebounds and eight assists.

Giddey started despite an investigation by the NBA into an accusation that surfaced on social media that he had an improper relationship with an underage girl.

The 21-year-old Australian player has declined to comment on the matter, while Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Friday that it was now "a league matter."

As for coming up short, Daigneault said, his young team just wasn't quite at its sharpest.

"Obviously against a team that good, you've got to have your best if you want to win the game."

In other early action, the Brooklyn Nets snapped a three-game losing streak with a 112-97 victory over the short-handed Miami Heat.

Mikal Bridges scored 24 points and Cam Johnson added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who had all five starters score in double figures.

Caleb Martin scored 22 off the bench to lead Miami and rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 18 for the Heat, who played without Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo one day after surrendering a 21-point lead in a loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

O.Gauthier--SMC