Joel Embiid had 28 points and 11 rebounds, James Harden added 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, and the host Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Orlando Magic 105-94 on Wednesday.
Harden went 6 of 10 from 3-point range, while Tobias Harris scored 16 points for the Sixers, who avenged a 119-109 loss to the Magic two nights earlier. Tyrese Maxey added 10 points off the bench.
Markelle Fultz led the Magic with 18 points, Paolo Banchero added 13 points and nine rebounds, and Franz Wagner finished with 13 points.
Gary Harris, Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs each scored 11 points. Wendell Carter Jr. grabbed 13 rebounds to go along with nine points.
The Magic trailed 101-92 after Wagner scored with 4:31 left, but Orlando managed just two points the rest of the game.
Harden’s fifth 3-pointer, with 9:11 left in the fourth quarter, put the Sixers ahead 88-83. After a missed shot by Moe Wagner, Harris scored in the paint for a seven-point lead.
Banchero misfired on a jumper and Maxey dropped in a 3-pointer from the corner for a 93-83 advantage.
The Magic fell behind by 13 but closed within eight, 98-90, when Fultz made two free throws with 5:06 remaining.
The Sixers regained an 11-point lead, 103-92, when Maxey hit a driving layup with 3:42 to go.
Harden knocked down a step back 3-pointer, Harris added a driving layup and the Sixers pulled ahead 73-66 with 5:37 left in the third quarter.
Fultz came back with a difficult jumper in the lane and Carter made a 15-foot shot to close to within three.
The Sixers led 82-78 entering the fourth quarter.
After the Magic closed with four, Harden responded with a 3-pointer for a 50-43 advantage with 3:53 remaining in the second quarter.
Embiid’s 20 first-half points helped the Sixers take a 56-53 lead at halftime.
Fultz hit a spinning layup at the buzzer to slice the deficit to three.
The Magic stayed close despite making just 4 of 20 shots from 3-point territory in the first half.
The Sixers closed the first quarter on a 17-0 run to take a 37-23 lead.
–Field Level Media
