Joel Embiid returned to the Philadelphia 76ers‘ lineup after sitting out the team’s past seven games and made an immediate impact. He scored 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 108–100 win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday afternoon.
Prior to Sunday, Embiid last played for the Sixers on Nov. 20. In a 117–111 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, the center scored 35 points with 11 rebounds in 33 minutes. Philadelphia went 4–3 during Embiid’s latest absence due to left knee management and personal reasons.
Embiid was listed as questionable going into Sunday’s game. He wasn’t deemed ready to play until after finishing pregame warmups. Perhaps shaking off some rust, Embiid missed his first six shots from the floor and looked sluggish. The Bulls held a 33–23 lead after the opening 12 minutes.
Apparently, Embiid needed to warm up and settle in. He scored 19 points in the second quarter, shooting 7-for-11, and grabbed six rebounds. Perhaps more importantly, the center’s presence in the paint provided some much needed interior defense. He finished the day with two blocks.
Embiid’s paint defense today was fantastic.
Hard to win a game where the other team makes 10 more threes than you, but Sixers dominated inside the arc, largely thanks to Joel. pic.twitter.com/1486T3Jd6Z
— Dan Olinger (@dan_olinger) December 8, 2024
In five games this season, Embiid is averaging 22 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. Sunday was a rare game in which Philly’s “Big Three” of Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George played together in this early stage of the 2024-25 season.
Maxey posted a triple-double for the Sixers, scoring 25 points with 11 rebounds and 14 assists. George and Kelly Oubre Jr. each added 12 points. Oubre also had 10 rebounds, while George grabbed seven. Jared McCain provided 11 points, four assists and three steals off the bench.
Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 30 points, shooting 6-for-14 on 3-pointers. Nikola Vučević and Coby White each scored 13 points, while Ayo Dosunmu added 10. Josh Giddey dished out 10 assists for Chicago, which fell to 10–15 with the defeat.
The 76ers won their second consecutive game, giving them victories in four of their past five games. That’s inching them out of the Eastern Conference cellar. At 7–15, Philadelphia is currently 12th in the East. The Sixers get four days off for injury management. Their next game isn’t until Friday, when they host the Indiana Pacers (10–14).
