PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers have made it clear which big man no longer fits in their plans.

It is just as clear which one is regarded by the organization as a perfect fit.

Rookie center Joel Embiid scored a career-high 33 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:43 left, as the Sixers beat the Brooklyn Nets 108-107 on Sunday night, snapping an eight-game home losing streak.

"For the first time ... he wanted to dominate the game," coach Brett Brown said.

Embiid, who shot 12 of 17 from the floor, also contributed 10 rebounds and three blocked shots.

"I wasn't feeling good before the game," he said, adding that he had cold symptoms. "During the game, I started making some shots finally, because the last couple games I haven't been making anything, so I just wanted to keep going."

Embiid's 3-pointer, his second of the game, came from the top of the circle and gave the Sixers a 110-108 lead. Philadelphia then fought off Brooklyn, which twice cut the deficit to one thereafter.

Ersan Ilyasova added 22 points and Robert Covington had 15 for the Sixers, who won for just the third time in their last 13 games.

Before the game Brown announced that Nerlens Noel, one of the Sixers' three big men taken early in the draft, would not be part of the frontcourt rotation for the foreseeable future. The coach was quick to add that the demotion had nothing to do with Noel complaining about his role after Friday's loss to the Lakers.

Rather, Brown said, it was because the "balance and flow" of the team is thrown off when he has to try to find minutes for Noel, Embiid and Jahlil Okafor, all of whom are best suited to play center.

"I think a lot of people know it was going to get to a point like this," Noel said. "Now I'm the one that's in it, so I'm going to deal with it the best way possible. That just means being professional and getting better at every aspect that doesn't involve being on the court, in the game."

Noel dressed but did not play, while Okafor was announced as the starting center and Embiid as the starter at power forward. Okafor missed all 10 shots he attempted from the floor but had 11 rebounds to go along with his three points.

Brown, who called Okafor's defense and rebounding "fantastic," was asked if he felt Noel was getting a fair shake.

"I feel worse for Richaun," he said, referring to backup forward Richaun Holmes.

Brown then noted that while Holmes has been active all season, Noel has not. He missed the season's first 23 games following minor knee surgery before returning last Sunday against Detroit. He sprained an ankle, missed a game and saw eight minutes of daylight against the Lakers.

Brown went on to say that while he is "fond" of Noel, playing him at present is not what's best for the team.

"There's nothing more important than the team," he said.

Brook Lopez had 22 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for Brooklyn, which dropped its ninth straight road game. Joe Harris generated 19 points, matching his career high, and Jeremy Lin chipped in 16 for the Nets.

Ilyasova and backup guard T.J. McConnell each contributed four points to a 13-0 flurry spanning the third and fourth quarters, giving Philadelphia a 94-86 lead with 9:09 left in the game. Brooklyn surged back ahead 98-97 on Lopez's jumper in the lane with 2:53 to play.

Embiid then nailed his 3-pointer, putting Philadelphia ahead to stay.

Brooklyn cut the gap to 102-101 before Embiid connected twice at the foul line, and made it 108-107 on Lin's 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds to play. Philadelphia's Gerald Henderson then very nearly threw away the inbounds pass, but the Nets were unable to track down the loose ball before the final buzzer sounded.

"We just couldn't get over the hump," Lopez said. "I don't know if there's that much analysis to it."

Neither team led by more than five points in the first half, when there were nine ties and 18 lead changes. The Nets reeled off the last six points of the second quarter, including a go-ahead 3-pointer by Harris, to take a 57-54 lead at the break.

Lopez had 19 points to lead Brooklyn, while Ilyasova had 13 for Philadelphia.

The Nets extended their lead to nine early in the third quarter, but Embiid packed 15 of his points into the period, leaving Brooklyn with an 86-83 cushion heading into the final quarter.

"We just have to keep playing the right way," Lopez said. "We don't have any room for error. We have to hold each other accountable. We just have to be better. We have to play a complete game for 48 minutes."

NOTES: Philadelphia G/F Nik Stauskas did not play because of a sore left knee. ... Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said G Jeremy Lin's back is "feeling much better." Lin played just his third game since Nov. 2, after missing 17 with a strained hamstring and another with back tightness. ... Bojan Bogdanovic had 14 points for Brooklyn.