76ers rally, hang on to beat Bucks
MILWAUKEE -- Gerald Henderson scored 20 points off the bench and Nerlens Noel posted a double-double as the Philadelphia 76ers blew a double-digit lead but rallied over the final minute for a 114-109 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night at the Bradley Center.
Playing without Joel Embiid or Jahlil Okafor for the second straight night, the Sixers struggled to contain Bucks center Greg Monroe, who led Milwaukee with 28 points and scored eight in the final quarter.
But even shorthanded, the Sixers had no problem scoring early, putting up 72 points on 62 percent shooting in the first half.
Milwaukee made 24 of 47 shots but gave up 26 points on 14 turnovers and couldn't slow down Philadelphia's offense, especially from beyond the arc, where the Sixers made 9 of 13 attempts.
After scoring 39 points in the second quarter, the Sixers managed just 16 in the third and Greg Monroe helped the Bucks chip away at the deficit in the third, scoring nine. He converted a three-point play with 14.7 seconds left in the quarter to make it an 87-82 game.
Brogdon tied the game at 94 on a 3-pointer with 7:55 left and a Dellavedova 3 game Milwaukee a 97-96 lead two minutes later.
The lead kept shifting, but Milwaukee finally created some separation on a Tony Snell 3-pointer and, after a Philadelphia turnover, a tip-in by Jabari Parker that put the Bucks up three with 1:15 to play.
But free throws from Covington and Noel put Philadelphia back in front and Monroe threw an inbounds pass out of bounds with 15 seconds left. Noel's jumper made it a three-point game and the Sixers held on for their 10th win in 12 tries.
NOTES: The 76ers were without out Jamil Okafor and Joel Embiid. Embiid was not scheduled to join the team on the trip to Milwaukee as he's still not playing both ends of back-to-back sets but is also dealing with a left knee contusion. Okafor has knee soreness and is day to day. ... Bucks PG Malcolm Brogdon was selected to take part in the Rising Stars Challenge at the NBA All-Star Game next month in New Orleans. A second-round pick in last summer's draft, Brogdon is second among rookies at 9.2 points per game and leads that group with 4.1 assists. Along with Brogdon, Philadelphia's Embiid, Okafor and Dario Saric were also invited to participate in the event. ... C Miles Plumlee was in Milwaukee's starting lineup for a second consecutive game, leaving John Henson and Greg Monroe to come off the bench. ... The 76ers snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Bucks with a 113-104 victory last Monday in Milwaukee.