76ers beat Nets, match last year's win total
NEW YORK -- Rookie Joel Embiid scored 20 points in 24 minutes as the Philadelphia 76ers rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit and matched their win total from last season with a 105-95 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon.
Embiid was on a restriction of about 28 minutes and shot 8 of 14 from the floor. He scored 12 of his points after halftime when the 76ers (10-25) outscored the Nets, 59-38.
He finished off his 14th game with 20 points by hitting two free throws with 46.5 seconds left as Sixers fans loudly chanted "Trust the Process", in reference to the team's rebuilding plan.
Reserve Dario Saric also scored 18 and came within three of his career high as the Sixers won for the third time in four games and improved to 6-8 in their last 14 games. Robert Covington overcame getting poked in the eye twice and added 15 while Ersan Ilyasova contributed 14 as Philadelphia won despite shooting 39.4 percent.
Brook Lopez ended a streak of four straight games under 20 points and scored 26 points, but only eight were after halftime when the Nets. Reserve Justin Hamilton added 14 and Bojan Bogdanovic had 14 and eight as the Nets committed 22 turnovers and dropped their sixth straight.
The Nets never trailed in the first half and held a 57-46 lead at intermission when Lopez hit a 3-pointer with eight seconds remaining. Lopez's 3-pointer capped a 9-0 run in the last 2:48 after two free throws by Nerlens Noel made it a two-point game.
Philadelphia held the Nets scoreless for the first 4:42 of the second half and scored the first 11 points of the third quarter to forge a 57-57 tie on two free throws by Nik Stauskas with 7:51 remaining. The 76ers took their first lead on their next possession when Embiid hit an 18-footer over Lopez.
Brooklyn finally scored when Lopez hit a short jumper and converted the foul shot with 7:18 left. Following a miss by Saric, the Nets took a 63-59 lead on a 3-pointer by Bogdanvoic with 6:55 left
The Sixers grabbed their first double-digit lead on a jumper by Sergio Rodriguez with 1:46 left and took a 78-73 lead into the fourth.
The Nets came all the way back in the opening minutes of the fourth and evened it at 82-82 on a transition layup by Caris LeVert with 8:44 left.
Philadelphia regained the lead on two free throws by Covington with 7:23 left and held an 88-85. Embiid returned from his brief rest and fed Saric for an open 3-pointer to give the Sixers a 92-87 lead with 5:06 remaining.
The Sixers finished it off a few minutes later after Covington knocked down an open 3-pointer from the left wing with 1:57 remaining for a 101-87 advantage.
NOTES: Philadelphia G Sergio Rodriguez (left ankle sprain) was available after missing the last three games. ... Rookie F Ben Simmons (fractured right foot) is traveling with the 76ers and worked out on the court before the game. ... Brooklyn G Spencer Dinwiddie's contract became fully guaranteed Saturday, meaning he gets $1 million for the rest of the season. ... Dinwiddie started for the first time with the Nets Friday but was a reserve Sunday.