NBA results: Sixers beat Nets 110-102 as league grapples with COVID-19

Nets had both Harden and Durant and both of them ended with 33 points each, but in the end, it wasn’t enough as Joel Embiid led Sixers' win with 34 points.

Philadelphia 76ers beat Brooklyn Nets 110- 102; Credit: Twitter/@sixers
By Sreejith C R | Dec 31, 2021 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Joel Embiid scored 34 points as Philadelphia 76ers beat Brooklyn Nets 110-102 in the NBA fixture on Thursday. Kevin Durant who was making his return after recovering from COVID-19 was impressive for the Netss with 33 points. He hadn’t played since 16 December as the Nets grappled with COVID-19 spike that eventually saw three of their games postponed. Meanwhile Embiid made the contest more exciting with his antics that angered Durant. James Harden added a triple double of 33 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists.

Since the start of the game, Embiid was on a mission as he seeked revenge for the time Durant made a gesture after winning in Philly. The 27-year-old Sixers’ star dropped 16 points in the first quarter alone. Although the Nets had both Harden and Durant and both of them ended with 33 points each, in the end, it wasn’t enough.

Embiid was the player who set the tone for the final few minutes of the game. He ended with 34 points and the most important bucket of the game. Just before the final whistle Embiid exchanged words with Durant that almost turned into a brawl.

The Sixers went on a 9-2 run to take a 106-99 lead heading into the final two minutes. The deficit grew eight points hitting the final minute of play and after Seth Curry missed a right-wing three dagger, the door opened for Brooklyn. Harden hit a pair of free throws to reduce the deficit to six but Embiid snagged an offensive rebound and after a small exchange with Durant the Sixers bid put the nail in the win with free throws.

Durant finished the loss with his 14th 30+ point game of the season, concluding the contest with 33 points on 13-of-24 shooting from the field and 3-of-8 from the three-point range. The Nets star grabbed six rebounds and dished four assists as well in his 38 minutes of play. He is now tied with Lebron James for the league-lead in 30+ points games.

Warriors VS Nuggets game canceled

The NBA canceled Thursday’s clash between the Western Conference-leading Golden State Warriors and Denver because the Nuggets were hit by COVID-19 and injuries and couldn’t field the requisite eight players. The decision sparked a sharp response from Warriors star Draymond Green, who would have been absent himself because of cCoronavirus.

“How do you continue to cancel games when you’ve implemented rules to prevent this from happening.?” Green Said on Twitter. “Is that not a competitive advantage for other teams?

“The guys we didn’t have due to the protocol list played no role in Tuesday’s loss? Pick a side but don’t straddle the fence.”