NBA: Joel Embiid has triple-double in return, 76ers rout Bulls

Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid, proper, goes up for a shot in opposition to Chicago Bulls’ Andre Drummond, heart, through the first half of an NBA basketball sport, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photograph/Matt Slocum)

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid had 31 factors, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in his return from a sprained proper ankle, Tyrese Maxey scored 21 factors and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls 110-97 on Tuesday evening.

Embiid missed all 4 video games on the 76ers’ vacation highway journey, they usually went 2-2. A type of video games was in Chicago simply three nights earlier, a 105-92 loss through which the Sixers by no means led within the second half.

Embiid is the reigning NBA MVP for a purpose. With the large man again, the Sixers turned this into an early blowout in opposition to a Bulls crew that had performed properly not too long ago with out injured guard Zach LaVine. LaVine can return to the lineup as early as Friday. Even the two-time All-Star wouldn’t have helped a lot on this one because the Bulls fell to 10-6 this season with out him.

Joel Embiid in his return to motion…

🔔 31 PTS, 15 REB, 10 AST in simply 3Q
🔔 14th-consecutive 30/10 sport
🔔 @sixers seize the house W pic.twitter.com/lN8baJQzyl

— NBA (@NBA) January 3, 2024

The 76ers raced to a 43-18 after one quarter, with the Bulls lacking all 10 3-pointers.

DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 16 factors. Andre Drummond had 11 factors, 17 rebounds and muffed a dunk to the delight of the house crowd when he was stuffed by the entrance of the rim. Ahead Patrick Williams left with an injured proper ankle.

It was that form of evening in Philly, the place the 76ers continued a latest pattern of comfy wins. They handed LeBron James the most important margin of defeat in his professional profession in a 44-point win in November. There was a 45-point win over Washington and a 32-point victory over Detroit.

So many NBA video games are ones of back-and-forth runs. The Sixers have been stout at dwelling at constructing double-digit leads and by no means letting up — particularly in opposition to unhealthy groups or an undermanned one just like the Bulls (Nikola Vucevic sat out) — and rolling to simple wins.

The routs additionally give Embiid, who reached his seventh profession triple-double within the third quarter, an opportunity to relaxation. He sat out the fourth quarter. Embiid prolonged his franchise data with 15 straight 30-point video games and 14 straight video games of 30 factors and 10 rebounds.

The Sixers made 12 of their first 16 photographs and began 7 of 9 on 3-point vary. The early outburst gave them a 25-point lead, their largest on the finish of the primary quarter since they led Milwaukee by 28 factors on April 11, 2018.

Embiid had 22 factors on the half and Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 16. The 73-42 lead marked the twelfth time in franchise historical past the Sixers led by 31-plus factors at halftime.

Embiid jumped, spun, minimize, and by no means seemed bothered by the ankle. He even secured his triple-double on a no-look cross. Even with the video games missed, Embiid nonetheless leads the league in scoring with 35 factors per sport.

UP NEXT

Bulls: Go to New York on Wednesday.

76ers: Host the Knicks on Friday.