Joel Embiid scores 31 points in return from knee injury to propel Sixers to win over Bulls

Keith Pompey, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Dec 8, 2024

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CHICAGO — Joel Embiid missed his first seven shots Sunday afternoon.

And then he turned into vintage Embiid.

Embiid amassed 31 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists in his return from an ongoing knee condition, propelling the Philadelphia 76ers to a 108-100 victory over the Chicago Bulls at the United Center.

All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey compiled his first career triple-double for the Sixers with 25 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 14 assists.

But Embiid’s production — and the ability to move over the course of 33 minutes despite wearing a bulky knee brace — was the story of the Sixers’ fourth win in their past five games, continuing some momentum following a disastrous start to the season.

Embiid, who had missed the previous seven games and 17 of his team’s first 21 games overall, scored 19 of his points during a dominant second quarter, anchoring the game’s flip from a 10-point Sixers deficit into a 12-point advantage.

He made eight of his 12 shot attempts during the period. He got on the board with a turnaround jumper from the block, then finished a putback through contact for the and-one. He took multiple feeds from Maxey for open looks, reviving that two-man game that was so dominant last season. He hollered when he banked in a shot.

Embiid continued to roll out of the break, converting a wild and-one finish over Nikola Vucevic and stepping into two textbook jumpers. That helped push the Sixers’ lead out to 19 points in the frame, before the Bulls rallied to get as close as 96-92 on a Zach LaVine three-pointer with about five minutes remaining.

The bulk of Embiid’s scoring opportunities came while sharing the floor with Maxey and Paul George (12 points on 6-of-13 shooting, seven rebounds), the new All-Star trio that the Sixers (7-15) believed would vault them into championship contention but had played only six minutes together entering Sunday. Rookie guard Jared McCain, who initially came off the bench but started the second half in place of Guerschon Yabusele, added 11 points and four assists.

The Sixers next hit a light stretch of their schedule while the league plays the knockout round of the NBA Cup. They host the Indiana Pacers on Friday before a road date against the Charlotte Hornets on Dec. 16, then have a home-road back-to-back against the Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers on Dec. 20 and 21.