Embiid’s Triple-Double Powers Sixers to 3-0 Start

The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 127-116 on Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena, extending their unbeaten start to 3-0. Milwaukee fell to 0-3.

Joel Embiid recorded his 10th career triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Jaylen Brown scored 27 points on his 30th birthday, Tyrese Maxey added 26, and VJ Edgecombe contributed 17 points and 13 rebounds, including five three-pointers. LeBron James sat out with back and sciatica issues and is expected to play Sunday against Detroit, while Embiid will rest the second half of the back-to-back.

The game stayed tight throughout. Philadelphia led 34-25 after the first quarter but was outscored in the second and took only a 64-60 lead into halftime. The teams were tied 82-82 with four minutes left in the third quarter before the Sixers closed the period on a 15-5 run, with three-pointers from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Maxey and a fadeaway from Maxey to end the quarter.

Embiid’s jumper pushed the lead to 113-98 with about six minutes left in the fourth, but Milwaukee answered with six straight points to cut it to 117-108 with 3:18 remaining, then to three points. Edgecombe grabbed an offensive rebound that led to a Brown three-pointer, and on the next possession Brown found Caldwell-Pope for another three that sealed the outcome.

Milwaukee had eight players in double figures but could not finish. Jaime Jaquez Jr. led the visitors with 21 points, and Kel’el Ware had 19 points and 13 rebounds. Turnovers decided it: Milwaukee committed 22 to Philadelphia’s 11. The game drew a sellout crowd of 21,003.