Tobias Harris scored 32 points and Joel Embiid added 24 in his return from a 10-game absence to lift the host Philadelphia 76ers to a 122-113 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.
Embiid added eight rebounds and three blocks in his first game since sustaining a bone bruise in his left knee during Philadelphia's 127-101 win over the Washington Wizards on March 12.
Shake Milton and Ben Simmons each had 14 points and Seth Curry chipped in 13 for the 76ers, who have won 12 of their last 15 games. Philadelphia shot 50.6 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from 3-point range to win its eighth straight meeting with Minnesota.
Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 39 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out for the tumbling Timberwolves, who have dropped seven of their last nine games. Rookie Anthony Edwards added 27 points, marking the fifth consecutive contest that he has scored at least 20 points.
Philadelphia broke open a close game at halftime by scoring the first 13 points of the third quarter to take a 77-60 lead. Danny Green and Curry each made a 3-pointer to highlight the surge for the 76ers, who withstood a brief Timberwolves' rally before pushing their advantage to 18 points late in the quarter.
Minnesota scored 10 straight points to bridge the third and fourth quarters and trim Philadelphia's lead to 97-88. Edwards' dunk pulled the Timberwolves within four with 2:02 to play, but Harris responded with an emphatic one of his own on the next possession. Harris sank a mid-range jumper, and Embiid followed up a free throw by blocking Edwards at the rim to essentially preserve the win.
Philadelphia erased a modest three-point deficit after the first quarter by scoring 17 of the first 22 points of the second to take a 43-34 lead. Milton drained a 3-pointer and three more pair of buckets while Embiid scored five of his eight points at the foul line.
Harris' 3-pointer pushed the 76ers' lead to 55-45 with 4:35 remaining in the second quarter before Minnesota responded with a 15-9 run to close the half.
--Field Level Media
Minnesota | Philadelphia | |
Karl-Anthony Towns 39 | Scoring | Tobias Harris 32 |
Jordan McLaughlin 9 | Assists | Ben Simmons 6 |
Karl-Anthony Towns 14 | Rebounds | Joel Embiid 8 |
Karl-Anthony Towns 13 | Free Throws Made | Joel Embiid 12 |
Jordan McLaughlin 3 | Steals | Shake Milton 2 |
Jaden McDaniels 2 | Blocks | Joel Embiid 3 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Minnesota | 113 | 44.9 | 12-36 | 31-36 | 17 | 36 | 5 | 7 | 11 |
Philadelphia | 122 | 50.6 | 12-28 | 28-37 | 26 | 42 | 7 | 7 | 12 |