By Jack Ryan
Joel Embiid had 39 points and 16 rebounds, and the Sixers extended their dominance at home with a 112-104 overtime victory over the Nets.
Playing without All-Star point guard Ben Simmons because of lower back tightness, the Sixers improved to 26-2 at the Wells Fargo Center while they are 9-19 on the road.
Tobias Harris added 22 points and 12 boards for the 76ers. Alec Burks added 19 points, including a pair of layups in overtime.
Caris LeVert scored 25 points and Spencer Dinwiddie had 22 for Brooklyn, which announced before the game that Kyrie Irving would have season-ending surgery on his right shoulder.
Philly broke out to a 22-6 lead, and the Nets followed with a 44-8 stretch that helped them to a 52-42 halftime lead.
Embiid would start to assert more of a presence early in the second half, controlling the game from the paint and helping the Sixers get back within 78-77.
Dinwiddie hit a fadeaway jumper with 30 seconds left in regulation to give Brooklyn a 103-101 lead, then fouled Embiid at the other end with 16.2 to play. Embiid hit both foul shots to even the score and Brooklyn played for the last shot, but Wilson Chandler’s layup at the rim after a pass from Dinwiddie was knocked away by Embiid just as the horn sounded to send the game to overtime.
After Dinwiddie hit one of two free throws to give Brooklyn a 104-103 lead, the 76ers went on a 9-0 run with Burks hitting two running layups and Milton converting a pass from Harris in the lane into an easy basket.
