Joel Embiid scored 35 points and Paul George added 28 in their returns to the lineup as the Philadelphia 76ers rolled past the visiting Chicago Bulls 157-137 on Wednesday night.
Philadelphia welcomed back Embiid (oblique), who had missed the previous 13 games, and George (suspension), who had sat out the last 25 contests. Tyrese Maxey (finger) continues to sit out, but the Sixers (40-33) barely missed him in this one, as they posted the eighth-highest point total in team history and won for the fifth time in their last seven games.
The Bulls (29-43) gave up 51 third-quarter points – their most ever allowed in a quarter and the most the Sixers had scored in any quarter since the 1960s. Josh Giddey paced Chicago with 23 points and 12 assists, while Matas Buzelis contributed 18 points.
Embiid scored 15 points in the first quarter, shooting 3 of 3 from 3-point range as Philadelphia held a 38-26 lead after 12 minutes. VJ Edgecombe added 11 of his 22 points in the period.
The Sixers led by double figures throughout the second quarter. The hosts expanded their lead late in the period, using an 11-3 run to go ahead by 24 before Chicago got within 71-52 at the break.
Giddey led all scorers with 10 points in the second quarter, but he didn’t get much help. The Aussie guard shot 3 of 4 from the field (2 of 3 from long range) in the period, while his teammates were 4 of 16 from the field and 2 of 11 from beyond the arc.
Philadelphia outscored Chicago 51-32 during an electric third quarter, shooting 19 of 22 from the field in the quarter, including 6 of 7 from outside the arc. Embiid led the way with 12 points in the frame before sitting out the fourth.
Early in the final quarter, George scored seven points during a 10-0 run as the hosts’ lead ballooned to 135-88. Chicago rallied late to make the final score slightly more respectable.
Sixers guard Kyle Lowry, playing on his 40th birthday, put an exclamation point on the win with a 3-pointer – the team’s 22nd of the game – in the final minute.
