MILWAUKEE — James Harden got free from the defense and pulled up for 3, sinking the shot that got the 76ers back within one.
Then, it was Joel Embiid’s turn to take advantage of the space at the top of the key.
Embiid’s go-ahead deep shot with 42 seconds remaining capped the Sixers’ most impressive victory of the season. They rallied from an 18-point second-half deficit against the NBA’s hottest team, snapping the Bucks’ 16-game winning streak with a 133-130 victory Saturday night at Fiserv Forum.
It was a complete reverse of last week’s prime-time appearance on ABC, when the Sixers let a 15-point second-half lead slip in a loss against the Boston Celtics that ended with Jayson Tatum’s game winner. The Sixers are now 2-1 against the Bucks, who entered Saturday atop the Eastern Conference standings.
And much like Thursday’s loss at the Dallas Mavericks, the Sixers staged a massive fourth-quarter surge to create a dramatic final minutes.
They cut their deficit to 101-100 on a Harden 3-pointer and old-fashioned three-point play with about nine minutes remaining. Then they got within one again, at 106-105, when Georges Niang sank one of his five deep shots with less than seven minutes to play — before tying the score at 108 on another 3 about midway through the quarter.
Neither team led by more than six points in the first half, before the Bucks staged a 14-8 run to begin the third quarter to open up an 73-61 advantage on one of Grayson Allen’s six 3-pointers in the frame. Allen’s barrage of long balls fueled Milwaukee’s 40-point period, which pushed their lead to as many 18 points.
Harden narrowly missed a triple-double with 38 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, while Embiid finished with 31 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. Fellow MVP contender Giannis Antetokounmpo totaled 34 points, 13 rebounds and four assists. Former Sixer Jrue Holiday added 26 points and 13 assists for the Bucks.
Maxey remains a starter
Tyrese Maxey (26 points) was again an electric scorer as a member of the starting lineup, after moving back into that spot for Thursday’s loss in Dallas.
Maxey got going with a six-point burst late in the second quarter, including a crafty transition layup and floater. That continued into the third, when he hit a 3-pointer, layup and off-balance floater. After Embiid’s go-ahead 3-pointer, Maxey hit two free throws to push the Sixers’ lead to 129-125 with 25 seconds to go.
Maxey played alongside previous starter De’Anthony Melton for a stretch with Jalen McDaniels, Niang and Paul Reed. Later, Maxey was part of a three-guard lineup with Harden and Melton alongside Niang and Reed and then P.J. Tucker and and Tobias Harris before Embiid checked back in.
Combo guard Shake Milton, who has been part of the Sixers’ rotation for most of the season, did not play in the first half but entered the game late in the third quarter.
Another Tucker return — then departure
Tucker continued his week of returning to former playing stops, and received a warm reception from the Milwaukee crowd after helping the Bucks win the 2021 NBA title. But the 37-year-old big man did not finish the outing, leaving in the third quarter with back spasms.
Tucker finished with two points — missing all three of his corner 3-point attempts — to go along with two rebounds and was the initial primary defender on Antetokounmpo. Reed also got a crack at guarding Antetokounmpo, who got free for an alley-oop layup to start the second and got past Reed (and over Niang) for a strong finish.
Veteran center Dewayne Dedmon, whom the Sixers signed off the buyout market in mid-February, was available to play after missing his first six games with hip soreness but did not get any action.
Harris also injured
Starting forward Tobias Harris, who recorded three points and two rebounds in 13 first-half minutes, did not return after the break because of left calf soreness. Melton started the second half in Harris’ place.
Without Harris and Tucker, the Sixers closed with Harden, Maxey, Embiid, McDaniels and Niang.
