Yahoo Finance Tobias Harris dagger spoils wild rally as 76ers hand Lakers their first road loss of the season
The Los Angeles Lakers went into Philadelphia Wednesday night carrying a 10-0 road record.
After trailing by 14 in the fourth quarter, they were on the verge of running it up to 11. Tobias Harris had other ideas.
After the Lakers took a late 106-105 lead on an Anthony Davis layup set up by LeBron James, the 76ers got the ball back with 11.2 seconds remaining. They drew up a play for their sharpshooting forward to be the hero. He delivered.
Harris calls ball game
Harris set up at the top of the key in isolation with Alex Caruso defending. He drove to his left, pulled up inside 15 feet and watched his go-ahead bucket sink through the net with 2.4 seconds remaining.
TOBIAS HARRIS WINS IT FOR THE @SIXERS WITH 2.4 REMAINING! pic.twitter.com/xHpD2vDo4G
— NBA (@NBA) January 28, 2021
The Lakers, out of timeouts, mustered only an off-target desperation half-court heave from Davis in response. And the 76ers delivered the Lakers their first road loss of the season, 107-106.
Lakers rally thwarted
It was a bitter defeat for the Lakers after they rallied from a 100-86 deficit with 4:43 remaining to take the lead in the game’s final seconds only to watch Harris rip it way. For the 76ers, the win over the West’s best team was further vindication that their now 13-6 run to the top of the Eastern Conference is no fluke.
They’re ready to compete for a championship.
Philly’s big 3 thrive
Harris was hot all night. The third-year 76er tallied 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting alongside seven rebounds and three assists as he continues to thrive in his role as Philadelphia’s third option.
Joel Embiid, meanwhile, carried on with his burgeoning MVP campaign with 28 points, six rebounds four assists, outdueling Anthony Davis in a battle of two of the NBA’s best big men. Ben Simmons notched a triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. It’s a formula the 76ers are happy to ride as they look to claim their stake as the East’s top contender.
The win was more significant for the 76ers than the loss was for the defending champions. The Lakers looked fine in the fourth game of their seven-game east coast swing. They just came up a little short against tough competition. LeBron James notched 34 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Davis tallied 23 points and eight rebounds as the Lakers dropped to 14-5.
The Lakers take their road show to face the Detroit Pistons on Thursday. The 76ers visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
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