Embiid, Harden lead 76ers past short-handed Warriors
Kevon Looney of the Golden State Warriors shoots past Joel Embiid during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center on December 16, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) ((Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images))
PHILADELPHIA - Joel Embiid had 34 points and 13 rebounds, James Harden added 27 points and nine assists and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the short-handed Golden State Warriors 118-106 on Friday night.
Stephen Curry sat out for Golden State two nights after injuring his left shoulder in a loss at Indiana. Draymond Green (right quadriceps contusion) and Andrew Wiggins (strained right adductor) also missed the game, while Klay Thompson played through soreness in his left knee to score 12 points. He was 4 of 17 from the field, missing 10 in a row at one point.
De'Anthony Melton had 17 points and seven assists for Philadelphia. The 76ers improved to 16-12, opening a seven-game homestand with four straight victories.
Jordan Poole led the defending champion Warriors with 29 points. Donte DiVincenzo scored 17 points in his return to the arena where he played in college at Villanova, and Kevon Looney had 14 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Golden State dropped to 2-14 on the road and 14-15 overall.
Embiid has scored 30 or more points in six straight games and 11 of 12. After a first half which saw him often flailing and clearly frustrated with five turnovers, Embiid reasserted himself in the third quarter with 12 points and two 3-pointers and the 76ers went from down 57-55 down at halftime to an 88-81 lead.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Wiggins missed his sixth straight game. He was cleared to return to practice Thursday, but there is no immediate timeframe for him to return to play.
76ers: Tobias Harris was a late scratch for Philadelphia because of back pain. ... Furkan Korkmaz was inactive with a non-COVID illness.
UP NEXT
Warriors: At Toronto on Sunday.
76ers: Hosts Toronto on Monday night.