Philadelphia improved to 3-0 with a 127-116 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday, October 24. Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, while Jaylen Brown scored 27 points on his 30th birthday and Tyrese Maxey added 26. VJ Edgecombe contributed 17 points.
Philadelphia overcame the absence of LeBron James, who was ruled out with lower back pain management. He is expected to return against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday after averaging 15.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in his first two games with the Sixers. Dean Wade made his season debut following an ankle injury and scored seven points.
The 76ers led 34-25 after the first quarter and remained ahead through the third quarter. Maxey hit a 46-foot shot to close the opening period and added a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer of the third. Brown then converted a three-pointer from an Embiid pass for a 120-114 lead before Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit another three after a Milwaukee turnover.
Milwaukee, still winless at 0-3, had four players score at least 15 points. Jaime Jaquez Jr. led the Bucks with 21 points, Kel’el Ware added 19 points and 13 rebounds from the bench, and Kyle Kuzma recorded 14 points and 12 rebounds. Philadelphia shot 40.8% from the field but made 19 three-pointers on 44 attempts, while Embiid went 12-of-14 from the free-throw line.
