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Brandon Ingram's late three lifts Los Angeles Lakers over Philadelphia 76ers

By Gordie Jones, Sports Xchange
Lakers forward Brandon Ingram (14) shoots over Warriors Zaza Pachulia at Staples Center in Los Angeles, November 29, 2017. File photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI
Lakers forward Brandon Ingram (14) shoots over Warriors Zaza Pachulia at Staples Center in Los Angeles, November 29, 2017. File photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI | License Photo

PHILADELPHIA -- Brandon Ingram hit the game-winning 3-pointer Thursday in the Lakers' 107-104 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, but Los Angeles coach Luke Walton wasn't sure the forward's heroics should have been necessary.

"If you made your free throws," Walton jokingly told Ingram after the game, "we wouldn't have needed that 3-point shot."

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Ingram missed five of his 10 foul shots and was just 6-for-20 from the floor as the Lakers' final possession unfolded.

He found himself wide open on the right wing, however, and rookie guard Lonzo Ball, on a drive from the right corner, pitched the ball to him. Ingram connected with eight-tenths of a second left, snapping a 104-104 tie.

"I had the confidence to shoot it," Ingram said. "(Ball) sucked the defense in and kicked it out. I think he made a great pass."

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Ball said he considered pulling the trigger on a 3-point attempt from the right corner, then thought better of it.

"I thought that was great recognition," Walton said. "Brandon showed a lot of guts to be able to knock down that 3 at the end."

Ingram led the Lakers (9-15) with 21 points. Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson added 16 apiece off the bench for Los Angeles, which snapped a five-game losing streak.

Ball, booed every time he touched the ball, finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, three steals and four blocked shots.

"I knew it was going to be like that," Ball said of the crowd. "Right when they called my name (in pregame introductions), they were ready to go. They were going after us. It's always fun playing like that, though."

Joel Embiid had 33 points to lead the Sixers, who dropped their second straight and their third in four games. Robert Covington chipped in 19 points, and rookie Ben Simmons contributed his third triple-double -- 12 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists.

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The Sixers, however, were outscored 22-11 on second-chance points and saw the Lakers converted 18 turnovers into 25 points. Philadelphia (13-11) scored 14 points on 12 Los Angeles giveaways.

"We've got to rebound the ball," said Embiid, who finished with seven boards. "I didn't do that tonight. That's one of the reasons we lost this."

The Sixers, down 85-70 less than a minute into the fourth quarter, stormed back to tie it behind Embiid and backup forward Richaun Holmes. Embiid poured in 16 of his points in the period, while Holmes had 11 of his 13.

Holmes' dunk, off a feed from Embiid, knotted the game at 101 with 2:23 left.

The Lakers edged back in front, but Philadelphia tied it again, at 104-104, on Embiid's two free throws with 39.8 seconds to play.

Ball missed a 3-pointer, but Embiid came up empty as well.

Holmes missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer.

The Lakers led by as many as 13 in the first half and were still up by 12 with 1:55 left in the second quarter after a 3-pointer by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. A pair of 3-pointers by Covington helped the Sixers slice the deficit to 57-49 at the break.

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Embiid had 15 points in the first 24 minutes to lead Philadelphia, while Covington had 13.

Los Angeles extended its advantage to 73-57 late in the third quarter before Philadelphia went on a 13-2 run capped by Jerryd Bayless' 3-pointer with 43.3 seconds left in the period.

The Lakers, up just 75-70 at that point, responded with the last four points of the quarter, on Caldwell-Pope's layup and a follow shot by Andrew Bogut.

Clarkson and Josh Hart then nailed triples to open the fourth quarter, giving the Lakers an 85-70 cushion with 11:13 to play.

NOTES: Los Angeles enjoyed a 41-13 advantage in bench scoring. ... Earlier in the day, the Sixers traded C Jahlil Okafor and G/F Nik Stauskas, as well as a 2019 second-round pick, to Brooklyn for F Trevor Booker. Philadelphia C Joel Embiid said he was happy for Okafor, with whom he is close, and that he reached out to him via text. "I was just like, 'New beginnings, love you, good luck, I'm going to miss you,'" Embiid said with a smile, "and I made sure I let him know I was going to kick his (butt)." ... Philadelphia G T.J. McConnell returned after missing the previous three games with a sprained shoulder, but F Dario Saric (left eye laceration/corneal abrasion, right eye) did not play. ... The Sixers have been without G Markelle Fultz the last 20 games because of a shoulder injury, and there is no timetable for his return. GM Bryan Colangelo said before the game that Fultz is pain-free, however.

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