NBA highlights on Nov. 21: Cavaliers edge 76ers with right tactics

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 122-119 in overtime (OT) at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, securing their fourth straight win.

The Cavaliers missed their ace shooting guard Donovan Mitchell and key wingman Caris LeVert because of injuries in this game, but they benefited from that misfortune. Defensively, the team had a much bigger squad on the court to match the opponents in size. On the offensive end, the Cavaliers concentrated their energy on screen plays among Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, hitting the opponents where it hurt the most.

The 76ers had the NBA's best offensive rating of 121.3 before Tuesday's game because the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Joel Embiid not only averaged 31.9 points per game but also improved his passing ability thanks to much better spacing to deliver a career-high 6.2 assists per game. It's difficult for most teams to contain both Embiid and the rest of the 76ers simultaneously, but the Cavaliers have the resources to do it.

Allen is both big and quick enough to stop Embiid from attacking willfully in the high post. If Embiid tried to go deep, help defense and double-teaming would come immediately toward him while extra defenders stood in his passing routes and waited to steal the ball. Embiid missed 12 of his 21 field goals (FGs) and committed six turnovers.

Embiid responded with offensive aggression that earned him 16 free throws. Both Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris took advantage of his distraction of the Cavaliers' defense to score 53 points in combination. Nonetheless, the whole team shot 11-for-35 from downtown, not well enough to punish the opponents' defensive choices.

Embiid is a four-time All-Defensive Second Team center and one of the best rim blockers in the league, but his 2.13-meter height and 127-kilogram weight make him vulnerable to small, quick slashers, especially when they attack in screen plays.

That's what Garland did on Tuesday night. Since none of the 76ers' perimeter defenders could contain him one-on-one, Embiid always found himself in a dilemma. If he didn't close out, Garland would shoot open jumpers; if he dashed out, Garland was a good passer to feed either Allen or Mobley for open shots. Moreover, both Allen and Mobley are good passers on criteria for big men to move the ball for the second time for better opportunities.

The Cavaliers had six players score double-digit points in this game and delivered a total of 33 assists. They even had more points in the paint than the 76ers (68-52).

Other games on Tuesday (away teams come first):

Indiana Pacers 157-152 Atlanta Hawks

The Pacers averaged 125.7 points, the most of all 30 teams, in 104 possessions, also the most, while allowing 123.8 points, the third-most in the league, per game before Tuesday. Their game was very much like an All-Star contest in a defenseless way. They went 22-for-45 behind the arc against the Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The home team seemed to be infected by the Pacers' style of playing as they knocked down 15 of their 31 triples attempts. Both sides scored over 110 points after three quarters (119-114).

Tyrese Haliburton continued to give full play to his offensive talents with a double-double of 37 points and 16 assists for the Pacers. Twenty-six of his points were scored in the third quarter alone, almost matching the total team contribution of the Hawks (28). He has been shooting 50.8, 43.2 and 93.6 percent in FGs, 3-pointers and free throws, respectively, per game this season and became the first player in NBA history to average at least 20 points and 10 assists in the 50-40-90 club.

Utah Jazz 99-131 Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James reached another milestone of his career as he surpassed 39,000 regular-season points after making 6-for-10 from the field to get 17 points in addition to seven rebounds and nine assists for the Lakers against the Jazz at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. The purple and gold led in every single quarter of the game, which was practically decided even before the fourth quarter.

Toronto Raptors 107-126 Orlando Magic

Portland Trail Blazers 107-120 Phoenix Suns