LOS ANGELES, Dec 7, 2023 (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.
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.
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.
But 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 24-year-old Slovenian said.
The Mavericks improved to 12-8 with the win while Utah fell to 7-14.
San Antonio’s 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.
San Antonio’s number one draft pick Victor Wembanyama finished with 12 points from 4-of-13 shooting, but was upstaged by French compatriot Rudy Gobert, who posted 16 points with 20 rebounds for the Wolves, who lead the Western Conference at 16-4.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich bemoaned his team’s inability to shoot anything from three-point range. Spurs made just eight of 36 attempts from outside the arc.
“We gave them a good run, but if you shoot eight from 36 you’re going to have a tough night,” Popovich said.
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.
In Detroit, Desmond Bane erupted for 49 points as the Memphis Grizzlies cruised past the Pistons 116-102.
Memphis improved to 6-14 while Detroit fell to 2-19 to remain bottom of the East.
