LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Joel Embiid shrugged off the lingering effects of illness to score 50 points as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Washington Wizards, 131-126, in the NBA on Wednesday.
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Embiid missed the Sixers’ last 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 November 6.
Warriors 110, Blazers 106
Clippers 111, Nuggets 102
Mavericks 147, Jazz 97
Heat 112, Raptors 103
Bulls 111, Hornets 100
Rockets 110, Thunder 101
76ers 131, Wizards 126
Grizzlies 116, Pistons 102
T-Wolves 102, Spurs 94
Nets 114, Hawks 113
Cavaliers 121, Magic 111
Embiid, who also had 13 rebounds and seven assists, revealed after Wednesday’s win 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 top-of-the-table Boston.
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.
In Portland, 31 points from Steph 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 sunk to 6-14.
Elsewhere Wednesday, Nikola Jokic bagged a triple double but was unable to stop the NBA champion 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.
Meantime, 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 24-year-old Slovenian said.
