NBA: PHILADELPHIA 76ERS 123 ORLANDO MAGIC 110 JAN. 19, 2022
January 20, 2022
The Philadelphia 76ers improved to 26-18 on the season with a 123-110 win over the Orlando Magic at The Center on Wednesday night. With the win, Philadelphia seized its regular season series with Orlando, now leading 3-0 with one more meeting to go this season. With the latest win, Philadelphia extended its franchise-long win streak over Orlando to seven straight games (Stathead).
The 76ers pulled away with a 76-point second half, 47 of which came in the third quarter. The 47-point third quarter marked set a new season high for the team and marks the most it’shave scored in a quarter since Jan. 6, 2021 when Philadelphia posted a 49-point second quarter against Washington. Meanwhile, 76 points are the most the 76ers have scored in a second half since they scored 83 during the 1985-86 season (Stathead).
For the game, Philadelphia shot .542 from the field, giving them their 15th game where they shot at least 50-percent from the field and improving to 14-1 in those contests. The 15 such games are the most in the Eastern Conference, and tied with Phoenix for the second-most in the NBA (Stathead).
This win was on the shoulders of a career-high-tying night for JOEL EMBIID, who ended Wednesday’s contest with 50 points (17-23 FG, 15-17 FT) along with 12 rebounds and three blocks. Per Elias Sports Bureau, Embiid logged the fewest minutes (27:03) played in a 50-point, 10-rebound game in the shot-clock era (1954-55). In reaching 50 points on just 23 field goal attempts, Embiid became the 10th player in league history to tally 50-plus points on 23-or-fewer attempts from the floor (Stathead). This outing also makes Embiid the second player to have multiple games with 50 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in NBA history, joining the Lakers’ ANTHONY DAVIS as the only players with at least two such games (Stathead).
The career night was fueled by Embiid scoring a combined 43 points in quarters one and three – with 20 points in the first quarter and then another 23 points in the third quarter. His performance in the third frame tied his teammate, SETH CURRY for the second-highest output by a 76er in the play-by-play era (1996-97), per Stathead).
By going 15-17 from the foul line, Embiid tied Milwaukee’s GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO for the most games this season with at least 15 makes from the line with three such performances (Stathead). Embiid leads the NBA in free throws made this season (NBA.com/stats).
Along with Embiid, TOBIAS HARRIS notched his 14th game of at least 20 points this season while adding four rebounds, two steals and a block, giving him 28 such games as a 76er. In these contests, Philadelphia now has a record of 23-5 (Stathead). These 28 games are the second-most on the 76ers since the 2018-19 season (Stathead).
Off the bench, GEORGES NIANG contributed 10 points with two made three-pointers, making him the ninth player this season with at least 20 games of at least two makes from deep among reserves (Stathead).
In the loss against Philadelphia, Orlando had four players score in double digits. MO BAMBA led the team, with a career high 32 points as he shot 12-15 from the field and 7-8 from three point. This is his first time in his career where he made at least five threes in a game and he joins his teammate COLE ANTHONY as the only Magic players this season with at least 30 points with five made threes in a single game. CHUMA OKEKE added 18 points of his own with a career high six made threes. The Magic will face the 76ers again on March 13th in Orlando.
NEXT UP: The 76ers will host the LA Clippers, marking the first meeting between the clubs this season. On the year, Philadelphia has the second-most wins (nine) against Western Conference teams among clubs in the East, while its .600-win percentage ranks third in the conference (NBA.com/stats).