SALT LAKE CITY — With a raucous home crowd on its feet, Joel Embiid got the ball on the right side of the court and launched as he faded away.
The shot with 4.9 seconds left went splash, lifting Embiid to 30 points and the 76ers to a 118-117 victory over the Utah Jazz Saturday night Vivint Arena.
Though the Sixers built multiple double-digit leads — including a 20-point advantage in the first quarter — the short-handed Jazz kept rallying to create a tight fourth quarter.
Mike Conley first ignited the crowd with 3-pointer that tied the score, 113-113, with 1 minute, 48 seconds left, and then the lead changed four times. Embiid went 1 of 2 from the free-throw line, Utah rookie Walker Kessler elevated for a tip-in, James Harden hit a driving shot, and Jordan Clarkson made a jumper to give the Jazz a 117-116 advantage with 13.3 seconds remaining.
Utah erased its deficit when a jumper by Clarkson — who put together his own terrific fourth with 17 of his 38 points to keep his team within striking distance — tied the score, 90-90 at the 10:01 mark. But the Sixers answered with an 8-2 spurt, including two trademark step-back 3s by Harden — who scored 18 of his 31 points in the final period — to recreate a 98-92 cushion.
Another Harden 3-pointer gave the Sixers a 101-93 lead with 7:36 left. Then a midrange jumper put his team up, 103-98, about a minute later. He hit another trey to push that advantage to 108-100 with 5:26 remaining.
The Sixers took a 41-21 lead on a Montrezl Harrell bucket late in the first quarter, before the Jazz used a strong second frame to slash that advantage to 56-52 on a Nickeil Alexander-Walker alley-oop layup with about two minutes remaining in the half. The Sixers, though, finished the half on a 10-4 run, including a banked-in 3-pointer by Embiid to push his team’s lead back to double digits at 66-56.
In the third quarter, the Jazz got within 81-80 when Talen Horton-Tucker made two consecutive buckets and a free throw, before De’Anthony Melton connected on a 3 to spark seven consecutive Sixers points.
Tyrese Maxey made five of his first seven 3-pointers but finished 7 of 20 from the floor to finish with 21 points.
The Sixers played without standout forward Tobias Harris, who nursed a sore left knee injured during Thursday’s home loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder. But the Jazz were even more short-handed while playing on the second night of a back-to-back, playing without star forward Lauri Markkanen and veteran big man Kelly Olynyk, who would have been the primary defender on Embiid.
The Sixers continue their longest road trip of the season Sunday at the Los Angeles Lakers. After that, they play Tuesday at the Los Angeles Clippers, Thursday at the Portland Trail Blazers, and next Saturday at the Sacramento Kings.
Embiid’s encore
The first time Embiid faced the Jazz this season, he compiled one of the most eye-popping stat lines for a big man in NBA history in the best regular-season game of his career.
The All-NBA big man could not quite replicate his 59 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, and seven blocks. But he surely will take the game-winner.
Embiid scored 13 points in the first quarter, including a dunk and layup through contact that helped give the Sixers a 36-21 lead late in the period.
It’s also no coincidence that Embiid’s quiet second quarter — he scored just five points — coincided with the Jazz’s surge to get back in the game.
Kessler, meanwhile, largely asserted himself after the first quarter. He notched his seventh double-double of the season, with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Before his go-ahead tip-in late in the game, he swatted away a Shake Milton shot at the rim.
Fast start doesn’t last
The Sixers’ 41 first-quarter points were the most in an opening frame since a March 2021 game against Sacramento.
They were sharp on both ends of the floor during the frame. They made six of their first nine 3-point attempts, shot 65.2% overall from the floor, and only committed one turnover. The Jazz, meanwhile, connected on just 37.5% of their field goals, including a 3-of-14 mark from long range.
Embiid anchored the Sixers during the quarter, with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting and 4-of-6 shooting from the free-throw line. Harden also dished out six assists during the period.
The Sixers, though, only scored 47 points in the second and third quarters combined, allowing Utah to get back in the game.
‘Mini Van’ returns, but Milton sparks bench
After missing shootaround with a non-COVID illness, Georges Niang, a former Jazz player, clearly was in good spirits as he made the rounds at his old home arena following his pregame shooting routine.
Niang received a warm round of applause when announced as a sub in the first quarter, then went scoreless on 0-for-3 shooting. One of those misfires was an open 3 with his team clinging to an 81-79 lead late in the third quarter.
Milton, however, was the Sixers’ biggest spark plug off the bench. He made his first five shots and totaled 17 points. After he got blocked by Kessler, Milton hit a massive 3-pointer that put the Sixers up, 113-108.
