The Philadelphia Sixers gave themselves a nice Christmas present by winning against the Knicks (112-119) on Christmas Day opener this Sunday. Long abused by the New York franchise, Doc Rivers’ men finally managed to topple their opponent in the fourth quarter. Thanks to their victory, the Sixers have the eighth consecutive success and are still in fifth place in the standings ahead of New York.
Scorer of 35 points and 8 rebounds, Joël Embiid seemed untouchable on the ground. Dominant and imperial, the Sixers pivot allowed his team to stay in touch with the Knicks throughout the game. Assisted by James Harden (29 points and 13 assists), who has returned to the field since the beginning of December after a foot injury, the two will gradually earn points to raise the score. Embarrassing until then, forward Georges Niang hit four three-pointers in the fourth quarter to make up the difference.
On the Knicks side, Julius Randle (35 points and 8 rebounds) was the leading scorer. Despite a complete game, Tom Thibodeau’s men folded late in the game and went on to their third straight loss.
