Player grades: Joel Embiid leads Sixers over Nikola Jokic, Nuggets in a thriller

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers played host to the defending champion Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night looking to make a statement. This matchup can be considered a measuring stick game when considering the opponent and where the Sixers want to go so there was a lot of intrigue heading into this one.

The game featured some incredible basketball on both sides. The teams combined for 156 points in the first half as the Sixers and the Nuggets tied at 78 at the half. Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, the two headlining stars in this one, played some high-level basketball and the role players were fantastic all night long.

In the end, the Sixers walked away with a 126-121 victory. Embiid had 41 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds, Tyrese Maxey had 25 points, nine assists, and five rebounds, and Tobias Harris had 24 points on 8-for-10 shooting. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 11 points, Patrick Beverley added eight, and Nic Batum had eight and two blocks.

Here are the player grades following the win:

The Sixers needed Maxey to make a big impact in this one and he started the game the right way. He was aggressively attacking the basket and getting into the paint while also taking the open triples when the time called for it. He made plays for his teammates and gave Philadelphia the scoring it needed next to Embiid to keep up with a team like the Nuggets. His defensive effort against Jamal Murray was actually quite impressive. It won’t show in the stats, but Maxey forced him into some tough shots and he made some big defensive plays.

Needing to make an impact on defense with Philadelphia still missing De’Anthony Melton, this was a solid effort for Oubre. He made some big defensive plays by making the right reads in the passing lanes and he was being physical on that end of the floor. On the offensive end, his movement without the ball was important to help with spacing, and that allowed him to get easy looks. He did force up a few shots in the third quarter that Denver then used to spur its late run to take the lead heading into the fourth so that put something of a damper on an overall nice night for him.

This was a good Batum night. He knocked down some tough triples to begin the night and that allowed the Sixers to have the proper floor spacing. He had an impressive no-dip triple from the corner off a pass from Embiid when he was doubled. It’s impressive to see how naturally Batum fits in with this Sixers team.

Harris gave the Sixers some good defensive minutes in this one. The anticipation level he played with on that end was excellent and his overall effort was fantastic. He prevented two early Nuggets buckets just by making the extra effort to get a stop. On offense, he was aggressive around the basket and he was able to get some finishes while also getting to the line. In the second half, he made some big buckets from deep and by using his size and physicality to get into the paint and make something happen. This was an overall nice night for Harris and he was huge in the fourth quarter.

It was a dominant start for the reigning league MVP. He knocked down some tough jumpers over some tough Denver defense and he looked like he had a different look in his eye. Obviously, playing against Jokic always makes the matchup with the Nuggets that much more entertaining and important, and Embiid rose to the occasion. His playmaking was so impressive in this one as it looked like he was a quarterback telling his receivers where to be. If there was one real glaring negative for Embiid in this one, it was the rebounding effort. Jokic made a killing in this one on the offensive glass and it was on the big fella to slow him down. Overall, though, the big fella had a terrific night in this one.

Pat Bev immediately hopped off the bench and provided some instant production. He had a nice floater in the lane over Jokic and he then knocked down a corner triple. Overall, the offense that Beverley continues to provide has been fantastic and a big help for the Sixers off their bench. His defensive effort and hustle in the fourth made a big difference for the Sixers.

The Morris minutes were solid in this one. While he did get into foul trouble with three fouls in his initial stint, he was able to give the Sixers some points by getting to the foul line. His activity level was good off the bench. He converted on a big 4-point play in the fourth when Philadelphia turned to the bench unit to start the quarter.

In his first stint, Reed had to battle former Sixers, now Nuggets, backup center DeAndre Jordan and he played him evenly. Bball Paul was serviceable in this one overall and it allowed Embiid to get his rest. He had a big block in the fourth quarter as Philadelphia continues to receive solid bench play.

Korkmaz only got four minutes of playing time in this one due to the wing players the Sixers were missing.