The showdown between the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets was a battle between two big men. However, Joel Embiid was not involved. He was ruled out at the last second and Paul Reed stepped up in his absence, dropping a career-best 30 points on Nikola Jokic in a 111-105 loss.

Reed drained jumper after jumper as the Nuggets dared him to shoot. With Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris among the numerous inactive players for the 76ers, Reed picked up some major slack and led a game that featured Jokic and Jamal Murray, who had 26 and 23 respectively. Bball Paul made 14 of his 21 shots and tallied 13 rebounds.

“Paul Reed played really good for them, and we need to give him credit,” the Nuggets superstar said after the game, according to team writer Matt Brooks.

Since becoming the 76ers' go-to backup center midway through last season, Reed has made a name for himself by being a stingy rebounder and versatile defender. Only this season has he shown a willingness to shoot from deep but he averages just 0.5 three-point attempts per game. This game was a spectacular showing of not just the belief in his hard work but the strides he has made in his game.

Patrick Beverley did a great job getting Reed good looks, tallying 17 points of his own along with 11 assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 25 points and Marcus Morris Sr. had 17 of his own. The 76ers won’t take moral victories all that meaningfully but giving the defending champions a real game despite missing four starters is something they should be proud of.