NBA: Joel Embiid posts triple-double in return as Sixers top Mavs

Joel Embiid marked his return with a triple-double, while Tyrese Maxey recorded a double-double as the Philadelphia 76ers edged the Dallas Mavericks 118-116 on Tuesday.  

Embiid tallied 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in 36 minutes, while Maxey added 33 points and 13 assists. Guerschon Yabusele also contributed 19 points as Philadelphia snapped a two-game skid.  

Kyrie Irving led Dallas with 34 points in a much-improved performance after a 144-101 blowout loss to Cleveland following the Luka Doncic trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. Anthony Davis, acquired in the deal, remained sidelined with an abdominal injury. Max Christie, making his Mavericks debut, went 4-of-4 from beyond the arc for 15 points.  

Dallas also made another trade, sending Quentin Grimes and a second-round pick to the Sixers for Caleb Martin, though neither played Tuesday.

One player who did take the court was Embiid, who had missed the previous 15 games with a knee injury. The triple-double was the ninth of his career and his first this season.

Embiid's bucket put the Sixers ahead 105-97 with 6 1/2 minutes left before the Mavericks rallied to go in front 109-107 on Klay Thompson's 3-pointer with 4 1/2 minutes to play.

The teams jockeyed back and forth with Naji Marshall's tip giving Dallas a 116-115 lead with 1:26 to go. The score remained unchanged until Embiid got good position down low and dropped in a layup with 22 seconds left.

On the Mavericks' final two possessions, Marshall missed a tough runner and then Dante Exum lost the ball as the buzzer sounded.

Philadelphia shot 65.2 percent in the first quarter and led 36-31 after the period. Dallas led for the bulk of the second quarter, eventually taking a 65-58 lead into the locker room as Marshall (19 points) scored six points late in the half to help the visitors create a bit of separation.

The Sixers dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 36-22 behind 63.6 percent shooting. Maxey and Yabusele did much of the heavy lifting with each contributing 10 points in the quarter.

Source via GMA News