PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 29 points — including the 10,000th of his career — and the Philadelphia 76ers survived a rocky second half to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 118-112 on Wednesday night.
James Harden added 19 points and 12 assists to help send the 76ers into the All-Star break with their fourth straight victory. De’Anthony Melton added 18 points, and Tyrese Maxey had 16.
Donovan Mitchell had 33 points — including 25 in the second half — for the Cavaliers. They had won seven straight.
Darius Garland added 27 points for Clevland, and Evan Mobley had 23.
Philadelphia hit its first six 3-pointers and 11 of 14 shots from the floor to jump out to a 31-10 lead. The Sixers led by 28 early in the second half.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Danny Green made his return to the Cavaliers lineup on Wednesday night, scoring three points in about 12 minutes. Green — who played three games for Memphis this season before being traded to Houston and being eventually waived — was drafted by the Cavs in 2009. Bickerstaff indicated that Green’s role will be as much mentor for a young lineup as opposed to on the floor. “We know his game his ability to make shots and defend, but our group needs as much information as they have,” Bickerstaff said. … Ricky Rubio was inactive for Cleveland with a non-COVID illness.
76ers: Philadelphia forward P.J. Tucker was back in the starting lineup after leaving Monday’s game against Houston with right calf tightness. … Embiid passed the 10,000 point mark early in the first quarter. He accomplished the milestone in his 373rd game — the fastest in franchise history ahead of Allen Iverson’s 378.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Host Denver on Feb. 23.
76ers: Host Memphis on Feb. 23.
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