NBA highlights on Jan. 28: Embiid scores 24 in jersey No. 24 for Bryant
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Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers, wearing #24 to honor Kobe Bryant, looks on during a game against the Golden State Warriors at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 28, 2020.

Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers, wearing #24 to honor Kobe Bryant, looks on during a game against the Golden State Warriors at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 28, 2020.

The game continues but the effort to honor Kobe Bryant goes on.

Wearing No.24 in honor of Bryant, Joel Embiid powered Philadelphia to a 115-104 win over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.

He buried the bucket to give himself a tidy 24 points and eight defensive rebounds in honor of the late NBA superstar who was killed along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash Sunday.

Embiid was granted permission from Hall of Famer Bobby Jones to wear the retired No. 24 instead of his usual 21.

Embiid was a teen in Africa when he first got hooked on basketball watching Bryant in the 2010 NBA Finals. Bryant's style and swagger inspired the 7-foot Embiid to give up volleyball and convince his father he had a new direction in his promising athletic career.

The Philadelphia 76ers honor Kobe Bryant by wearing his jersey, "#8" or "#24" prior to a game against the Golden State Warriors at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 28, 2020.

The Philadelphia 76ers honor Kobe Bryant by wearing his jersey, "#8" or "#24" prior to a game against the Golden State Warriors at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 28, 2020.

"It was tough but that's how you honor him, you go out there and you do your best," Embiid said. "You work hard and you play through stuff."

Bryant led suburban Lower Merion High School to the Class AAAA state title at Hersheypark Arena in 1996, the school's first since 1943. His framed No. 33 Aces jersey was displayed at midcourt and the Sixers held a 33-second moment of silence of Bryant and the other eight victims in Sunday's crash. The Sixers rang a bell nine times and shone nine lights on the court during the solemn remembrance. The Sixers skipped pregame introductions for both teams and instead played a video of Bryant's last introduction in Philadelphia in a December 2015 game and images of him with Allen Iverson and Julius Erving.

Milwaukee Bucks 151 - Washington Wizards 131

In Milwaukee, Khris Middleton dedicated the best game of his career to Kobe Bryant as he scored a career-high 51 points, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 151-131 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

He said he was thinking a lot the past few days about Bryant.

"Kobe was one of my favorite players growing up besides (Michael) Jordan," Middleton said. "I took a lot from his game. Everybody says Mamba mentality. To go out there and put on that type of performance, I definitely can dedicate that game to him as a thank you for what he did for the game."

Boston Celtics 109 - Miami Heat 101

During a game between two Eastern Conference teams, Celtics led most of the game on the way to beating the Miami Heat 109-101.

Gordon Hayward scored 29 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Jaylen Brown added 25 points. Boston became the first East team to come into Miami and win this season; the rest of the conference had been 0-13 on the Heat floor.

A detail of a tribute in remembrance of former NBA player Kobe Bryant who died in helicopter accident on Sunday, during the first half between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, January 28, 2020.

A detail of a tribute in remembrance of former NBA player Kobe Bryant who died in helicopter accident on Sunday, during the first half between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, January 28, 2020.

The head coach of both teams, Erik Spoelstra for Heat and Brad Stevens for Celtics, wore Bryant's signature sneakers - a gesture that other NBA coaches made Tuesday as well.

"It's about more than the player," Adebayo said. "It's about a lot more when you're honoring Kobe."

The Heat also displayed the numbers 8 and 24, Bryant's two jersey numbers in the distinctive Los Angeles Lakers purple and gold, on an electronic sign attached to the basket stanchions.

Source(s): AP