Philadelphia 76ers Rise to 121-105 Victory Over Lakers
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown decided to experiment with his lineup during Tuesday night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. If one game is any indication, Brown can consider it a success.
The Sixers led throughout and were up by 24 in the second quarter as they rolled to a 121-105 victory over the short-handed Lakers.
Joel Embiid scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds from his usual spot in the middle, but Jimmy Butler and Ben Simmons thrived in new roles. Butler had 20 points and six assists in his first game at point guard, and Simmons scored 19 while playing the stretch 4 - power forward with the range of a shooting guard.
''I think Jimmy did an amazing job getting everyone open. We still need to work on stuff to get better, but it was an amazing start,'' said Embiid, who had his NBA-leading 34th game with at least 20 points and 10 boards.
Brown said he changed the lineup because he wanted to learn more about his team with the trade deadline less than two weeks away and with an eye toward possible matchups in the playoffs.
Brandon Ingram had a career-high 36 points for the Lakers, who were missing Kyle Kuzma (hip) along with LeBron James and Lonzo Ball.
Butler was back after missing three games due to a sprained wrist. He got off to a quick start with nine points in the first quarter as Philadelphia ran off 12 straight points to take control early. The Sixers extended their lead to 38-17 late in the first and were up 39-20 at the end of the period as they went 15 of 27 from the field and forced eight turnovers.
Simmons, who had 11 points in the first 12 minutes, said he liked the new-look lineup because he felt less pressure.
A 3-pointer by Landry Shamet gave Philadelphia a 48-24 advantage with 8:14 remaining in the second before Los Angeles scored 16 straight points to get within eight. Ingram scored nine of his 15 points in the quarter during that run. The Sixers answered with a pair of 3-pointers by Wilson Chandler and went into halftime with a 64-53 advantage.
The Lakers got to 80-71 midway through the third quarter on a pair of free throws by Ivan Zubac, but Shamet and Embiid hit 3s to put Philadelphia's lead back in double digits.
*********LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 29: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers gets fouled by Tyson Chandler #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Staples Center on January 29, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
The Sixers led throughout and were up by 24 in the second quarter as they rolled to a 121-105 victory over the short-handed Lakers.
Joel Embiid scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds from his usual spot in the middle, but Jimmy Butler and Ben Simmons thrived in new roles. Butler had 20 points and six assists in his first game at point guard, and Simmons scored 19 while playing the stretch 4 - power forward with the range of a shooting guard.
''I think Jimmy did an amazing job getting everyone open. We still need to work on stuff to get better, but it was an amazing start,'' said Embiid, who had his NBA-leading 34th game with at least 20 points and 10 boards.
Brown said he changed the lineup because he wanted to learn more about his team with the trade deadline less than two weeks away and with an eye toward possible matchups in the playoffs.
Brandon Ingram had a career-high 36 points for the Lakers, who were missing Kyle Kuzma (hip) along with LeBron James and Lonzo Ball.
Butler was back after missing three games due to a sprained wrist. He got off to a quick start with nine points in the first quarter as Philadelphia ran off 12 straight points to take control early. The Sixers extended their lead to 38-17 late in the first and were up 39-20 at the end of the period as they went 15 of 27 from the field and forced eight turnovers.
Simmons, who had 11 points in the first 12 minutes, said he liked the new-look lineup because he felt less pressure.
A 3-pointer by Landry Shamet gave Philadelphia a 48-24 advantage with 8:14 remaining in the second before Los Angeles scored 16 straight points to get within eight. Ingram scored nine of his 15 points in the quarter during that run. The Sixers answered with a pair of 3-pointers by Wilson Chandler and went into halftime with a 64-53 advantage.
The Lakers got to 80-71 midway through the third quarter on a pair of free throws by Ivan Zubac, but Shamet and Embiid hit 3s to put Philadelphia's lead back in double digits.
*********LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 29: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers gets fouled by Tyson Chandler #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Staples Center on January 29, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.