Joel Embiid Posts Triple-Double for Sixers in Winning Return

Philadelphia-back in action After losing the last month of swelling of the knee and a foot stew, Joel Embiid hit the leading basket by 22 seconds to go and sent a triple-double to Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday night in a 118-116 wind over Dallas Mavericks

Embiid had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 36 minutes. Coach Nick Nurse said before the game that 30 minutes was a realistic expectation, but that he would see how 7-foot felt all night.

Afterwards, nurse said Embiid will sit out against Miami Heat on Wednesday in the second night of a back-to-back.

“I wish I could play every game,” Embiid said of his expectations for the rest of the season. “Whatever God decides from that time, I cannot control it. The goal is to be available every single night.”

Embiid, the most valuable player in 2023 NBA, had not played since a January -win over Brooklyn Nets, a span of 15 games. He is an average of 24.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 14 games for the 76s who went into the Night One match behind Chicago Bulls for the 10th seed and the last play-in-place in it Eastern conference.

He described this season as being “extremely” frustrating.

“Trying to find the positive things like support and family, but it’s tough,” he said.

Mavericks was without the new big man Anthony Davis, who remained out with an abdominal strain he suffered from Philadelphia as a varnish a week ago. Davis said he could return Thursday in Boston against Celtics or Saturday back in Dallas against Houston Rockets.

Also out on Tuesday, Quentin Grimes and Caleb Martin were after Philadelphia and Dallas swapped the two players earlier in the day. Although both teams are in Philadelphia, the trade was not completed in time for any of them to play.

Information from Associated Press was used in this report.