JOEL Embiid had 41 points and 10 assists to lead the Philadelphia 76ers past Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets 126-121 on Tuesday night in a battle of the last two NBA MVPs.
Jokic held up his end of a heavyweight showdown with 25 points and 19 rebounds, including 11 offensive boards.
Tyrese Maxey scored 25 points and Tobias Harris had 24 for the Sixers.
Embiid got the better of Jokic late, buoyed by a three-point play that stretched the Sixers’ lead. Embiid was fouled on a bucket and crotch-chopped in celebration toward the fans. He made the free throw for a 118-113 lead. Embiid followed with a 3-pointer for an eight-point lead and showed the Sixers are as good as any team when he’s healthy — even against the NBA champs.
Embiid gave the Sixers a scare when he fouled Michael Porter Jr. on a 3-point attempt with 26.6 seconds left. Porter hit the three free throws that pulled the Nuggets within four. Time simply ran out on a comeback.
Embiid had his 18th straight 30-point game, tying Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor for the sixth-longest streak in NBA history.
Suns 119, Kings 117
Kevin Durant made two free throws with 1.8 seconds remaining and Phoenix staged a furious comeback to beat Sacramento.
Grayson Allen tied a franchise record with nine 3-pointers and scored 29 points for the Suns, who trailed 113-96 before closing the game with a 23-4 run. Durant finished with 27 points.
Devin Booker had 16 points and 11 assists, Bradley Beal scored 13 points and Jusuf Nurkic had 10 points and 15 rebounds for Phoenix.
The Kings led by as many as 22 points, but Durant sparked a comeback with a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Eric Gordon later made consecutive 3-pointers to tie it at 115. He scored 13 points off the bench.
Durant’s free throws with 30 seconds left gave the Suns a 117-115 lead, their first since it was 3-2. De’Aaron Fox, who led all scorers with 33 points, tied it with a jumper with 19 seconds to go. But he then fouled Durant, who was attempting a long jumper. After his free throws, a last-second shot by the Kings was long.
Clippers 128, Thunder 117
Paul George scored 18 of his season-high 38 points in the fourth quarter and Los Angeles beat Oklahoma City for its ninth win in 11 games.
Kawhi Leonard and James Harden added 16 points apiece to complete a big day for the franchise. Earlier, Commissioner Adam Silver announced the 2026 All-Star Game will be held at the Clippers’ under-construction arena in Inglewood, where they begin play next season.
Jalen Williams scored 25 points and Lu Dort and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander each added 19 points for the Thunder, the West’s No. 2 team that has dropped two in a row after winning nine of 12 coming into Los Angeles.