Joel Embiid returned to the Philadelphia 76ers lineup after missing an entire game due to a sinus fracture. Wearing a protective mask, he scored 34 points in Friday’s 108-98 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Embiid also had nine assists and five rebounds in 25 minutes.
Embiid suffered a sinus fracture last Friday against the Indiana Pacers when Bennedict Mathurin inadvertently hit him in the face. The Sixers said Monday he would be reevaluated in a week.
But four days later, Embiid returned to the lineup. Due to a fortunate stretch in Philadelphia’s schedule, he only missed one game (Monday’s 121-108 win over the Hornets) due to the injury.
Embiid established himself early, scoring eight of Philadelphia’s first 14 points as the Sixers took a 41-23 lead into the first quarter.
However, the Sixers calmed down as the Hornets reduced the large deficit. With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, Charlotte cut Philadelphia’s lead to 89-83. But three straight baskets from Embiid helped the Sixers regain their lead.
Friday’s contest was only the fourth in which Philadelphia’s “Big Three” — Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey — played together. The Sixers went 1-2 in those previous three games.
Maxey scored 23 points with four rebounds and six assists. George only contributed five points, but totaled 10 rebounds, eight assists and three steals in his 33 minutes. Kelly Oubre Jr. was Philadelphia’s third 20-point scorer with 22 points, going 4 of 6 on three-pointers.
Vasilije Micić led the Hornets with 20 points, followed by 15 points and seven rebounds from Miles Bridges. Brandon Miller missed the game with a sprained left ankle suffered in Monday’s game against Philadelphia.
Next up for the 76ers is a Saturday night showdown with the NBA’s top-ranked Cleveland Cavaliers, who defeated the NBA Cup champion Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, 124-101. (Damian Lillard did not play for the Bucks due to a right calf strain.) Will Embiid play the second leg of consecutive games according to the schedule?