The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the visiting Houston Rockets, 121-93, at Wells Fargo Center on Monday evening.
The contest got out to a competitive start, with the Sixers taking the early advantage, with a four-point lead after one quarter. They held the edge in the second, where they outscored the visitors by 11, to take a 65-50 lead by halftime. The 76ers took it to another level in the third quarter by outscoring the Rockets 29-13, to push their lead to 31, heading into the final frame. Despite missing Jimmy Butler (wrist), the 76ers held on for their 20th home win of the season.
Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 32 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks, two steals and two assists, in 26 minutes. Landry Shamet added 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, and one rebound, in 20 minutes off the bench, while J.J. Redick tallied 16 points, two rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block. The 76ers shot 49 percent from the field, including 8-of-23 from long range.
Meanwhile, James Harden led the Rockets with 37 points on 12-of-26 shooting, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal, in 30 minutes. Gerald Green followed up with 18 points, two rebounds and two assists, while Kenneth Faried chipped in 13 points and six rebounds, in 23 minutes off the bench. The Rockets shot 36 percent from the field, including 11-of-42 from long range.
The Rockets (26-20) will look to bounce back as they take on the Knicks in New York on Wednesday. The Sixers (31-17) play host to the Spurs on Wednesday.
