Wednesday 30 January 2019 07:38, UK
The visiting 76ers welcomed Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler and Wilson Chandler back into their starting lineup and the trio helped Philadelphia run over the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers 121-105 to get back on track after a rough start to a five-game road trip.
Embiid finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds. Butler scored 20 points, and Chandler finished with nine. Ben Simmons added 19 points for Philadelphia, Mike Muscala scored 17 off the bench, and JJ Redick had 13.
Brandon Ingram scored a career-high 36 points for the Lakers. He has posted at least 20 points in three straight games for the first time in his three-year career. JaVale McGee contributed 17 points and 14 rebounds off the bench, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 12 points.
LeBron James is close to returning for the Lakers, but he sat out his 17th straight game with a groin injury. Los Angeles fell to 6-11 in his absence, but there is a chance he could return Thursday to face the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Lakers also were without second-leading scorer Kyle Kuzma (hip) for a second straight game, and starting point guard Lonzo Ball (ankle) missed his third game in a row.
Embiid missed the 76ers' 126-110 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night after experiencing back tightness, giving him six days of rest heading into the matchup in Los Angeles.
He left Tuesday after landing awkwardly on a missed dunk off a lob pass with 9:40 left in the fourth quarter and the 76ers holding a 10-point lead, but the Lakers were unable to capitalize over the next five-and-a-half minutes with Embiid out of the game.
Butler missed the previous three games with a sore right wrist, and Chandler sat out against the Nuggets due to a hamstring issue.
The 76ers surged to a 14-2 lead just over three minutes into the game, and Los Angeles would never get closer than eight points the rest of the way.
The Lakers committed nine of their 21 turnovers in the first quarter while falling behind by as many as 21 points.
Los Angeles went down by 24 with 8:14 left in the second quarter, but a 16-0 run cut the deficit to 48-40 with 4:59 left in the half. Philadelphia took a 64-53 lead into the break.
