NBA Power Rankings: Milwaukee Bucks reclaim top spot after Week 5
By Phil Watson
Philadelphia 76ers. 7. team. 93. . 11-5. Previous:
Last week: Beat New York 109-104, beat San Antonio 115-104, beat Miami 113-86
This week: Monday at Toronto, Wednesday vs. Sacramento, Friday at New York, Saturday vs. Indiana
The Philadelphia 76ers were able to hold off the Knicks on Wednesday before closing out the week with double-digit wins over the Spurs and Heat to run their winning streak to four games.
In the Miami game, Josh Richardson returned from a two-game absence to score a season-high 32 points against his former club, banging down 6-of-7 from 3-point range. Toss in the player the Heat acquired in the sign-and-trade deal, Jimmy Butler, scoring only 11 points and it had to be a nice night for Richardson.
Joel Embiid, meanwhile, did a lot without a lot of minutes. He had 23 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocks in just 26 minutes against Miami.
For the week, Embiid put up 22.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals in only 29.0 minutes per game, shooting 51.1 percent overall while going 3-for-12 from 3-point range.
Previous: . Denver Nuggets. 6. team. 73. . 12-3
Last week: Beat Houston 105-95, beat Boston 96-92, beat Phoenix 116-104
This week: Tuesday vs. Washington, Saturday at Sacramento
In case anyone was under the impression last season’s 54-win campaign by the Denver Nuggets was a fluke, the play of the Nuggets thus far this season should disabuse you of that notion.
Denver has won five in a row and nine of its last 10 games after putting up a 3-0 week last week. In the process, the Nuggets have navigated a gauntlet. The combined winning percentage of the teams they have beaten is .524 — one of only two teams in the NBA better than .500 in that department, with the other being the 4-13 New York Knicks.
The Nuggets will have a short week, wrapping up a four-game homestand Tuesday against the Wizards — part of a stretch where Denver plays seven of nine games at home — before a four-game Eastern trip in early December.
Nikola Jokic went for his third triple-double of the season — 18 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists — in Friday’s win over the Celtics and for the week averaged 17.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.7 steals on 51.1 percent shooting overall, going 2-for-9 from deep.