LOS ANGELES — The Philadelphia 76ers boasted a former MVP and a dominant center in contention for the top individual accolade this year.
The best the Los Angeles Clippers had to counter on Friday was Amir Coffey.
Buoyed by superstar duo James Harden and Joel Embiid, the 76ers crushed the Clippers 122-97 at Crypto.com Arena on Friday, handing the home team its fifth straight loss overall. After the Clippers scored the first five points of the game, Philadelphia (46-26) rattled off a 21-2 run. The Clippers (36-39) never got closer than 10 points.
Harden led Philadelphia with 29 points, a season-high 15 rebounds and seven assists. Despite the best booing efforts from Clippers fans, Embiid heard M-V-P chants from the Sixers faithful when he toed the free throw line. The 28-year-old had 27 points and 10 rebounds and walked through the tunnel after the game with his arms raised as fans showered him with MVP chants.
Coffey, who is playing on his third two-way contract in as many seasons, led the Clippers with 21 points. The next highest scorer for the Clippers was Isaiah Hartenstein with 16 points.
The star duo that was supposed to carry the Clippers remained sidelined. The hopeful returns of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who are out with knee and elbow injuries, respectively, seem to be the only silver linings for the team’s season-worst losing streak entering the home stretch of the regular season.
George’s return got a step closer to reality this week as he returned to the practice court for the first time since injuring his shooting elbow in December. It was a light session, focusing mostly on set plays and defense, but just having the seven-time All-Star back on the court provided a much-needed lift.
“Hope is stronger than fear, you know?” coach Tyronn Lue said before the game. “Just having that hope that he has a chance to come back, that gives you a lot of hope. … The job the team has done this year, it’s phenomenal. But we could use an extra little bump right now.”
George worked out before Friday’s game for the first time before a home game this season. He took passes from Clippers assistant Brian Shaw, worked around screens set by player development coach Larry Abney and drained shots from every area on the court. He didn’t look like a player who hadn’t played since Christmas because of a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his shooting arm.
Before the injury, George was averaging 24.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and a career-high 5.5 assists per game. With Leonard still nursing the torn anterior cruciate ligament that knocked him out of the playoffs last season, George thrived as the Clippers’ top scoring option. His scoring average was his highest as a Clipper.
Teammates are eager to get that player back on the court.
“I think he’s one of the most talented players ever,” forward Ivica Zubac said Friday. “He’s naturally gifted. His talent for the game of basketball, it’s insane. Like, there’s nothing he can’t do out there.”
But warming up 30 minutes before a game is still the closest George will get to a full-time return so far.
Lue demurred when asked whether George had any limitations on the court and balked at the suggestion that the team’s lighter schedule in the coming days could open the door for his quick return. The Clippers have three days before their next game against the Utah Jazz at home on March 29.
The break should give the Clippers time to lick the wounds from their season-long losing streak that includes two blowout losses. In addition to Friday’s 25-point loss, the Clippers fell behind by 41 points to the Jazz on March 18 and lost by 29.
