PHILADELPHIA -- Back in action after missing the past month with knee swelling and a foot sprain, Joel Embiid hit the go-ahead basket with 22 seconds to go and posted a triple-double for the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night in a 118-116 win over the Dallas Mavericks
Embiid had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 36 minutes. Head coach Nick Nurse said before the game that 30 minutes was a realistic expectation for Embiid, but that he would see how the 7-footer felt throughout the night.
Embiid, the 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player, had not played since a Jan. 4 win over the Brooklyn Nets, a span of 15 games. Tuesday night marked just his 14th game of the season for the 76ers, who entered Tuesday's game one game behind the Chicago Bulls for the 10th and final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Mavericks were without new big man Anthony Davis, who remained out with an abdominal strain he suffered here in Philadelphia as a Laker a week ago. Davis said he could return Thursday in Boston against the Celtics or Saturday back in Dallas against the Houston Rockets.
Also out Tuesday night were Quentin Grimes and Caleb Martin, after Philadelphia and Dallas swapped the two players earlier in the day. While both teams are in Philadelphia, the trade was not completed in time for either of them to play.