The Spurs scorched Philly, 46-29 in the 1st Quarter, then 45-39 in the second for a huge halftime advantage. With series control on the line, the 76ers made a valiant comeback in the 3rd Quarter, 41-29, then eeked out more points in the final period, 32-27, but they needed 39 to carry the day. They got very close, but never took the lead in Game 3, trailing by as large as 25 points.
Joel Embiid had 25 points with 9 rebounds, 3 steals & 2 blocks. Tobias Harris had 23 points, with James Harden dishing 10 assists to go with 22 points (still cold, 2-7 3PT). Tyrese Maxey had 13 points, 6 rebounds & 10 assists. Danny Green continued a cold shooting series, going 3-11 from 3PT range.
For San Antonio, Brandon Ingram officially entered the Finals MVP conversation with 35 points, 8 rebounds & 5 assists. Buddy Hield was no slouch, dropping a fiery 27 points on seven bombs from distance. Dejounte Murray had 22 with 6 assists. Kevin Love had 16 points, 9 rebounds in a nice effort. Andre Drummond had 14 rebounds.
Philly now moves into precarious, sadly familiar territory against the Spurs in the NBA Finals, on the brink of season-ending elimination.
