Joel Embiid posts triple-double as Sixers win seventh straight over the Lakers, 138-94

The 76ers keep finding ways to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers.

Monday’s 138-94 victory at the Wells Fargo Center marked the Sixers’ seventh consecutive win over the Lakers and 10th in the last 11 series meetings. Joel Embiid finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists and a block in just three quarters for his first triple-double since Dec. 31, 2022. It was the sixth of his career.

But this 44-point setback was largest defeat in the 21-year career of future Hall of Famer LeBron James.

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“I don’t think this was more the Lakers,” Tyrese Maxey said. “This was more the Sixers. We were trying to go out there and be a better version of ourselves than we were last game [against the Oklahoma City Thunder]. I think we closed the game out a lot better than we did last game.

“We were kind of disappointed in that. So for us to go out and do that wire to wire professionally was really good.”

The last time Los Angeles beat the Sixers was a 120-107 decision on March 3, 2020 at the Crypto.com Arena. But Monday’s victory was Philly’s second straight and gave them a 12-5 record. This marked the second loss in three games for the undermanned Lakers (10-8).

L.A. was without Rui Hachimura (fractured nasal), Cam Reddish (strained left groin), Jarred Vanderbilt (bursitis in left heel) and Gabe Vincent (left knee effusion). But it might not have mattered if they played, as the Lakers had no answers for the Sixers.

Dominating the Lakers is nothing new for Embiid. He came into the game with career averages of 31.6 points and 9.9 rebounds against Los Angeles. He recorded his triple-double after coming one rebound shy in two of his previous three games.

Embiid had 35 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in Saturday’s road victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. And he had 32 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in three quarters in a Nov. 19 road win over the Brooklyn Nets.

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The eighth-year veteran seemed unfazed to accomplishing something he came close to obtaining twice this season.

“I don’t look at that,” Embiid said. “Obviously, we are winning and it leads us to wins. So whatever it takes to make it happen, to win the game that’s always the focus, whether it’s scoring, defending, you know, passing the ball. So I don’t really worry about that.”

Embiid’s 10 points in the first quarter marked an NBA-best 23rd time he scored in double figures in a quarter. He added on to his league-best mark with 13 points in the third quarter.

When Embiid wasn’t scoring, he set up teammates for easy baskets. This marked his seventh career game with at least 10 assists, and first of the season. With a commanding lead, Embiid sat out the fourth quarter.

“I was just taking what the defense was giving me,” Embiid said. “In the post, they just doubled every single possession. So I just made the right play.

“The two-man game between Tyrese and myself and me bringing the ball up in transition with them loading up, it was just taking whatever was available.”

Maxey scored 20 of his 31 points in the first half. He made 5-of-12 three-pointers.

The Sixers built a 25-point lead in the first half thanks in large part to balanced scoring and solid three-point shooting.

They made 13-of-26 three-pointers in the first half and 22-of-46 for the game.

Reserve forward Marcus Morris tied a season high with 16 points, including 4-of-5 three-pointers. Reserve point guard Patrick Beverley had a season-high 12 points on 4-of-8 three-pointers against his former team. Beverley hasn’t shown that much aggressiveness offensively since joining the Sixers.

Nic Batum (10 points, 2-of-3 three-pointers), De’Anthony Melton (nine, 3-of-6), Embiid (2-of-3), Paul Reed (nine, 1-of-1) and Mo Bamba (seven, 1-of-1) made the Sixers’ other three-pointers.

James paced the Lakers with 18 points while setting the record for the most minutes played 54,664. Davis added 17 points and 11 rebounds.

The Sixers led by as many as 46 points.

“Obviously, I started playing late and I started watching late because of [former Lakers great] Kobe [Bryant],” Embiid said of dominating the Lakers. “That is my favorite team. Any time I play against them, you want to get the win.

“But I do it every night anyways against every other team. Maybe it’s just a coincidence that obviously that one of the teams I obviously seem to dominate and score a lot. ... But every single night, I want to go out and dominate offensively and defensively.”