In a wild finish, VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey came through when it mattered most as the Philadelphia 76ers blew a 24-point lead but held on to edge the Warriors.
Rookie VJ Edgecombe tipped in the go-ahead basket with 0.9 seconds left, and Tyrese Maxey’s game-saving block preserved a thrilling 99-98 Philadelphia 76ers victory over a short-handed Golden State Warriors on Friday, Dec. 5 (PH time).
Maxey scored 35 points and raced back to swat De’Anthony Melton’s potential game-winner off the backboard as time expired, while Edgecombe’s clutch follow-up had put the Sixers ahead moments earlier.
Joel Embiid added 12 points in his return to the lineup, but Philadelphia held on thanks to the duo’s late-game heroics as they improved to 12-9.
Golden State, missing stars Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and later Draymond Green, had erased a 24-point deficit and even held a 98-94 lead with 1:12 remaining.
Despite outscoring Philadelphia 64-43 in the second half, the Warriors fell short as Pat Spencer topscored the team with 16 points, while debuting De’Anthony Melton added 14.
Up next, the Warriors face the Cleveland Cavaliers (13-10), while the Sixers travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks (10-13).
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.