Joel Embiid on Wednesday shrugged off the lingering effects of illness to score 50 points as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Washington Wizards 131-126.
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Embiid missed the Sixers’ previous two games due to ill health, but returned with a bang to deliver a season-high performance in a slender victory on the road.
It was the second monster performance by Embiid against the Wizards this season after the Cameroon-born star dropped 48 points against Washington on Nov. 6.
Photo: AP
Embiid, who also had 13 rebounds and seven assists, said after Wednesday’s win that he was still not fully fit.
“I didn’t feel good. My chest was killing me,” Embiid said. “I started to feel better in the second half, but I was struggling.”
The win saw the Sixers improve to 13-7 to remain in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, two games back from the top-of-the-table Boston Celtics.
Photo: Geoff Burke-USA Today
Tyrese Maxey backed Embiid with 26 points, while De’Anthony Melton added 19.
Jordan Poole led the Washington scorers with 23 points as the Wizards slumped to their 17th defeat of the season to remain second from bottom in the East.
Elsewhere on Wednesday, Nikola Jokic bagged a triple double, but was unable to stop NBA champions the Denver Nuggets falling to a 111-102 defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Nuggets sprinted into a 15-point lead early in the first quarter, but Los Angeles roared back with a 40-point second quarter before outscoring Denver 32-20 in the fourth to complete an impressive win.
Jokic finished with 22 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, with Jamal Murray leading the Denver scoring with 23 points.
The Clippers powered to victory behind 25 points from Paul George — including five three-pointers — with James Harden chipping in with 20.
In other games, Luka Doncic put on a show with 40 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists — including a first-half triple-double — as the Dallas Mavericks pounded the Utah Jazz 147-97.
Doncic’s virtuoso performance — the 60th triple-double of his career — helped take him past the legendary Larry Bird into ninth place on the NBA’s all-time rankings for triples.
“I did that? It’s pretty amazing,” Doncic said when informed of his overtaking of Bird’s triple-double mark. “I don’t know what to say, honestly. We all know who Larry Bird was so it’s pretty special.”
The Mavericks improved to 12-8 with the win, while Utah fell to 7-14.
The San Antonio Spurs’ dismal start to the season continued with a 102-94 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Spurs’ 15th consecutive defeat leaves them rooted to the foot of the Western Conference on 3-17.
In Portland, 31 points from Stephen Curry helped the Golden State Warriors to a 110-106 win over the Trail Blazers.
The Warriors improved to 10-11 with the victory, while Portland sank to 6-14.
In Detroit, Desmond Bane erupted for 49 points as the Memphis Grizzlies cruised past the Pistons 116-102.
In Atlanta, Georgia, Mikal Bridges hit the deciding fadeaway jumper with 4.5 seconds remaining and scored 32 points in the Brooklyn Nets’ 114-113 victory over the Hawks.
In Toronto, Caleb Martin had a season-high 24 points and a career-best 12 rebounds as the Miami Heat beat the Raptors 112-103.
In Houston, Texas, the Rockets defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 110-101, while the Bulls beat the Charlotte Hornets 111-110 in Chicago and the Cleveland Cavaliers had a 121-111 home win over the Orlando Magic.
Additional reporting by AP
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