Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) celebrates with his fans as he leaves the court after his team defeated the Chicago Bulls in an NBA basketball game in Chicago, on Sunday December 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
CHICAGO — Two-time NBA scoring champion Joel Embiid returned to the starting lineup for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.
After missing his first seven shots and deliberately wandering with his left knee in the first quarter, the 2023 MVP broke down in tears to power the Sixers to a 108-100 victory over the Chicago Bulls. Embiid made eight of his next 10 shots in the second quarter for his first 19 points of the game, giving Philadelphia a 62-50 halftime lead.
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The Sixers increased it to 19 before holding on for their fourth win in five games, and Embiid finished with 31.
READ: NBA: No plans to stop Joel Embiid, says 76ers coach
“I just got lucky and started shooting,” Embiid deadpanned when speaking to reporters nearly 90 minutes after the game. “We narrowly missed some shots, we adjusted and we made them.”
Embiid, a seven-time All-Star, added 12 rebounds in his fifth game this season. The 7-foot center had missed the previous seven games with knee injuries and a three-game suspension for pushing a sportswriter.
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Embiid finished slightly above his career average of nearly 27.8 points per game in 33 minutes. The Sixers don’t play again until Friday thanks to the NBA Cup, so coach Nick Nurse plans to give his star plenty of work on Sunday with a break and recovery time ahead.
“All of a sudden it definitely caught fire there, with a little bit of variety,” Nurse said. “I know a lot of it looked like jumpers at the foul line, which it was. He snuck in a roll or two and a few post-ups. It gave us a lot of confidence.
The Sixers trailed 33-23 after the first quarter. Behind Embiid and a 16-0 in the second half, they definitely took the lead. Chicago got within four points twice in the fourth, but Philadelphia closed out.
“We defended really well and we rebounded extremely well on both ends,” Nurse said.
READ: NBA: Embiid injured, Paul George watches again from the 76ers bench
Tyrese Maxey got his first career triple-double as part of the winning formula and clicked with Embiid. Maxey finished with 25 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds.
“It was great, it’s who he is,” Maxey said of Embiid. “After he came into the game, it was easy, it was easier, man. There was a lot more space there.
The All-Star trio of Embiid, Maxey and Paul George (12 points) played together for only the second game this season.
“Obviously we have the connection,” Embiid said. “We know when things aren’t going well, what we need to do. Now it’s up to us to make the shots and the plays.
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“After that first quarter, we felt like we needed to take more ownership to get back in the game. They are great players.
