PHILADELPHIA: Joel Embiid had 42 points and 10 rebounds and Tobias Harris scored 22 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 117-109 win over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.
Embiid is off to the best start of his career and topped 40 points for the second time in three games. He shot 12 of 19 from the floor (one 3-pointer) and was 17 of 21 from the free-throw line. He did it in 34 minutes and scored 20 points in a half (22 in the first) for the fifth time this season.
Ben Simmons had 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Sixers.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 26 points and Marcus Smart had 25. Kemba Walker scored 19 points in his second game of the season after he missed the first 11 with a left knee injury.
The Sixers fell short in their attempt to trade for James Harden and left Embiid to perform the heavy lifting for a franchise that needs at least one other elite scorer to make a serious run in the East. When the Celtics snapped a tie game in the third…