Joel Embiid is back.
The All-Star 76ers center returned to the Philadelphia lineup Tuesday night to help lead the 76ers to a 118-116 win over a Dallas Mavericks team playing in the aftermath of the Luka Doncic trade.
Embiid posted a triple-double with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. And he scored the go-ahead bucket with 22 seconds remaining on a pass from Guerschon Yabusele to secure a 117-116 76ers edge.
The Mavericks didn’t score again as the 76ers held on for a win in Embiid’s return from a 15-game absence with foot and knee injuries. The 76ers won playing without Paul George against a shorthanded Mavericks team that doesn’t yet have an active Anthony Davis.
Davis was on the sideline for the first time as a Maverick after being dealt for Dončić. But he sat with an abdominal strain that he suffered last week while playing for the Lakers. He said Thursday that he may be able to return to the court on Thursday for the Mavericks’ NBA Finals rematch against the Boston Celtics.
The game was just the 14th of the season for Embiid. Due to various reasons including suspension, injury management and the foot sprain and knee swelling that have sidelined him recently, Embiid has missed 35 of Philadelphia’s 49 games this season.
Embiid wasn’t alone in leading the 76ers Tuesday. Tyrese Maxey was Philadelphia’s leading scorer with 33 points, 13 assists, four rebounds and two steals. Yabusele added 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Tuesday’s game was the fifth straight the George has missed with a with a tendon injury in his left pinkie finger. In total, George has missed 19 games since he arrived via offseason trade from the Clippers.
The extended absences by both Embiid and George have scuttled Philadelphia’s hopes of competing atop the Eastern Conference. With Tuesday’s win, they improved to 20-29, leaving them in 11th place in the conference standings. They hope in Philadelphia now is that Embiid and George can stay healthy enough to keep the 76ers in the playoff race.
