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76ers win first game after trailing by double digits in final minutes since 2018

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated13 Mar 2023

76ers win first game after trailing by double digits in final minutes since 2018

The Philadelphia 76ers won their first game after trailing by double digits in the final five minutes of regulation since defeating the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 25, 2018. Philly overcame a 20-point deficit to beat Brooklyn back then.

In Friday night’s 120-119 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, the Sixers trailed by 10 points late in the fourth quarter. Joel Embiid hit a fade-away jumper with 1.1 seconds left to give Philadelphia an impressive come-from-behind victory.

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Embiid’s shot gave the 76ers their first lead of the game. They trailed by as many as 21 points in the first half. “As I dribbled, I knew I had to step back,” said the MVP candidate.

“But I knew that I had to get to my spot, which is in that area. That’s a perfect spot from my previous years. At the top of the key, the court is wide open because guys don’t want to give up threes.”

76ers’ Joel Embiid has recorded 23 35-point games this season, joins Moses Malone and Shaquille O’Neal for most points by a center in the post-merger era

Embiid ended his outing with 39 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and three blocks in 38 minutes of action. The six-time All-Star finished 13-of-20 (65%) shooting from the field and 13-of-18 (72.2%) at the foul line.

“Down 20, guys could have been saying the game is over and we moved on to the next one,” added the 76ers center. “But these guys keep on fighting. But we have to stop putting ourselves in these positions.”

Entering Friday, the Sixers had lost 80 consecutive games when trailing by double digits in the final five minutes of regulation. Plus, it was Embiid’s fifth straight 30-point game, the longest active streak in the NBA.

Furthermore, it was the sixth game out of the last eight that Philly has allowed its opponents to shoot better than 40% from 3-point range, per ESPN. Now, the playoff contender is 44-22 and ranks third overall in the Eastern Conference standings. The 76ers trail the top-seeded Bucks by four games.

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