Embiid, George return to the lineup and lead Philadelphia 76ers past Chicago Bulls

Embiid missed 13 games with a strained right oblique but showed no signs of rust. The 2023 MVP made 6 of 9 shots in the first period, including all three of his 3-point tries. He had 23 points in the first half to help Philadelphia take a 71-52 halftime lead.

George was not as sharp early but settled in after halftime.

Playing for the first time since Jan. 29 due to a violation of the NBA’s drug policy, he missed 8 of 10 field goals in the opening half and had five points, but scored 23 points in the second half.

HAWKS 130, PISTONS 129, OT

DETROIT (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 27 points, making the tiebreaking three-point play in overtime, and Atlanta beat Detroit.

Jalen Johnson also had 27 points and came close to another triple-double, finishing with 12 assists and eight rebounds.

The surging Hawks improved to 15-2 since the All-Star break, best in the Eastern Conference, and snapped Detroit’s four-game winning streak.

Jalen Duren had 26 points and 14 rebounds for the Pistons, who lost for the first time since All-Star Cade Cunningham sustained a collapsed left lung. Tobias Harris scored 22 points and Daniss Jenkins had 19 points and 10 assists for the East leaders.

LAKERS 137, PACERS 130

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 43 points to lead Los Angeles to a victory over Indiana.

With Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark snapping pictures on the sideline as a credentialed photographer, Doncic sank 15 of 30 shots and hit 9 of 10 free throws. Austin Reaves scored 25 points, LeBron James scored 23 and Jaxson Hayes had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Los Angeles.

The Lakers have won 10 of 11, with Doncic scoring at least 30 points in each. Los Angeles, which sits third in the Western Conference, lost Monday night at Detroit, ending a nine-game winning streak.

Pascal Siakam scored 20 points and Jay Huff had 18 for the Pacers. T.J. McConnell came off the bench to score 17 and Andrew Nembhard had a career-high 19 assists along with 14 points.

CELTICS 119, THUNDER 109

BOSTON, (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 14 of his 31 points a pivotal third quarter and Boston rallied to beat Oklahoma City, snapping the defending champions’ 12-game win streak.

Jayson Tatum recovered from back-to-back rocky performances to add 19 points and 12 rebounds while also contributing seven assists as Boston earned a split in the two regular-season matchups between the past two NBA champs.

Brown added eight rebounds and eight assists, and his big quarter helped the Celtics take an 88-83 lead into the fourth. Boston’s edge grew as high as 14 in the final period.

OKC got within 115-109 with 1:30 remaining, but a layup by Brown, and two free throws by Derrick White helped Boston close it out.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 33 points and eight assists. But Oklahoma City was outscored by the Celtics 19-2 in second-chance points and shot just 12 of 37 from the 3-point line.

HEAT 120, CAVALIERS 103

CLEVELAND (AP) — Norman Powell scored 19 points, Tyler Herro added 18 and Miami got contributions from everyone while stopping a five-game losing skid with a win over Cleveland.

As healthy as they’ve been all season, the Heat squandered a 17-point lead in the third quarter before recovering in the fourth. Miami led by nine with five minutes left before Bam Adebayo converted a three-point play and Kel’el Ware scored on a layup in an 11-second span.

Adebayo finished with 17 points, Ware had 13 points and 11 rebounds and the Heat had eight players score in double figures. The Heat will stay in Cleveland and play the Cavaliers again on Friday.

Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points before fouling out in the final minutes for the Cavs, whose winning streak ended at four. James Harden and Sam Merrill scored 18 apiece.

SPURS 123, GRIZZLIES 98

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 19 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks as San Antonio built an early lead and coasted to a victory over Memphis.

Devin Vassell matched Wembanyama’s 19 points, while Stephon Castle and Keldon Johnson finished with 15 points each, as seven Spurs finished in double figures.

With its seventh straight victory, San Antonio moved within two games of Oklahoma City for the top spot in the Western Conference as the Boston Celtics stopped the Thunder’s 12-game winning streak with a 119-109 victory on Wednesday night.

GG Jackson led Memphis with 20 points. Olivier-Maxence Prosper finished with 17 and DeJon Jarreau added 15 as the Grizzlies lost their fourth in a row.