The Philadelphia 76ers continued their Western Conference swing with a matchup against Luka Doncic, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Following an emotionally charged trade deadline, the Sixers went to work on the road, but would see their five-game winning streak come to an end despite controlling the first half.
Philadelphia would take an early lead thanks to a 12-point first quarter by Joel Embiid, who simply outmatched Lakers center DeAndre Ayton at every turn. As Embiid began racking up points, Tyrese Maxey was stacking assist after assist, finding his teammates with ease for open shots.
Forward Dominick Barlow, who signed a multi-year standard deal with the Sixers before the game, continued to make an impact, energizing the team from the early goings. Barlow once again got the start as Paul George continues to serve his 25-game suspension and has continued to thrive no matter what head coach Nick Nurse asks of him.
Philadelphia did well to force LA into uncomfortable positions, leading to seven first-quarter turnovers and another six in the second quarter. However, as the game progressed, the Sixers would see the tables turn, leading to the Lakers' second-half advantage.
After losing Donic after he suffered a left-leg injury, Austin Reaves stepped up, scoring 14 points in just 10 minutes off the bench. The effort of Reaves and his benchmates would prove the difference, specifically in the second half. Reaves, Hachimura, Maxi Kleber and Jared Vanderbilt all made a significant impact.
Taking advantage of the Sixers' poor transition defense while forcing foul after foul, the Lakers soon found themselves down by just two entering the fourth with momentum firmly blowing in their sails.
At the four-minute mark in the fourth quarter, after continuing to struggle mightily, the Sixers finally flipped the switch, but they were already down 16 points, with the odds against them.
Managing to close the gap to three after a tremendous series by rookie VJ Edgecombe, who managed to steal the ball from LeBron James and sink a shot from range in the blink of an eye. Edgecombe's offensive game was overall uneven in this matchup, but once again, he did everything he could to impact the game in a variety of areas.
With 19 overall points, 10 rebounds and four assists, Edgecombe continues his stellar rookie campaign, but it simply wasn't enough to overcome the team's deficit, and the Sixers would fall by a final score of 119-115.
Philadelphia continues their five-game road trip with a matchup against Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night. The Sixers will look to bounce back, while the Suns will try to bounce back after a loss to the Warriors. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m.
