Sixers welcome back star Joel Embiid, who has a monster game in double-OT loss

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid put up bigger numbers and played more minutes than anybody could have expected during his long-awaited return to the 76ers on Saturday night.

While Embiid, who had missed nine games – only two of which the Sixers won – due to a positive COVID-19 test, was a welcome sight for anybody associated with the organization, it shouldn't be a big surprise that the Sixers struggled for stretches during his first game in three weeks.

Embiid hit 1 of 4 shots in the evening's first eight minutes and took a while to find a rhythm against Karl-Anthony Towns and the Timberwolves. He ended up scoring 25 of his game-high 42 points in the fourth quarter and OTs by shooting 12 for 23 from the field, 16 of 21 from the foul line and grabbing 14 rebounds in 45 minutes, 26 seconds. He logged the final 18:20, including all 10 overtime minutes.

"Joel was phenomenal tonight, but we still lost the game," said Sixers coach Doc Rivers. "Joel would take 30 (if they could've won). ... Give him credit (because) he's been working out and he showed us that."

Embiid and the Sixers were sluggish at the outset, resulting in having to play from behind nearly all evening on the way to a 121-120 double-overtime defeat to the Timberwolves at the Wells Fargo Center.

Embiid was thrilled to be back after "that (COVID) jawn hit me hard" and resulted in him having trouble breathing and "headaches worse than a migraine."

"I mean, I really thought I wasn't going to make it," said Embiid, who is vaccinated. "It was that bad. I'm thankful to be sitting here."

Minnesota's Towns, who got into a fight with Embiid during a game a little over two years ago in which both players were ejected and suspended, said afterward that he was glad to see Embiid healthy again.

"That's bigger than basketball," said Towns, who fouled out in the final minute of regulation with 28 points and 10 rebounds. "... I've seen it kill people (including mother Jacqueline and seven other family members)."

The Sixers were playing their first home contest after going 2-4 on a 6-game road trip that concluded with Wednesday's defeat at the hands of the league-leading Warriors, while the Timberwolves completed a back-to-back after dropping a 133-115 decision to the Hornets on Friday in Charlotte. That would seem to be about even in terms of difficulty.

The 10-10 Sixers, who host the Raptors on Monday evening, trailed by 18 points early in the third quarter when Rivers put Danny Green, who came off the bench because he's on a minutes restriction due to hamstring tightness, in for fill-in starter Matisse Thybulle. The deficit was only two going into the fourth period, but Green's restriction prevented him from playing much the rest of the way.

Embiid did miss a free throw with one minute left in regulation and had a pair of turnovers in the final minute of the initial overtime that he mentioned afterward, as well as airballing a long jumper at the second-OT buzzer while double-teamed when Seth Curry was wide open at the 3-point line.

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"I didn't think I was going to play tonight," Embiid said. "To me, it's a miracle I played this many minutes, but it's good. ... Tonight is on me. I turned the ball over too much (four times) and missed a couple free throws."

The Wolves hadn't beaten the Sixers in more than five years, dating back to a 110-86 drubbing on Nov. 17, 2016. Sergio Rodriguez and Gerald Henderson were the Sixers' starting backcourt that night.

Here's what else we learned Saturday:

Simmons sighting

Embattled Sixer Ben Simmons did some solo shooting Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center while the media wasn't permitted to watch, according to reports. He wasn't on the bench during the game.

Simmons, who has been working out at St. Joseph's University, remains sidelined for personal reasons after requesting a trade and skipping the first two weeks of training camp and the preseason.

Joerger update

Two weeks after assistant coach Dave Joerger revealed that he was leaving the Sixers indefinitely due to Stage 1 cancer in his head and neck, Rivers gave an update on Joerger prior to facing the Timberwolves.

"We've been in touch," Rivers said. "He's going through treatment. It's up and down. That's a tough one, but he's going to beat this. We found it early enough and he is a tough dude. He'll be back with us."

A former head coach of the Grizzlies and Kings, Joerger, 47, joined Rivers' staff in November 2020.

Double duty

Second-year forward Paul Reed had 22 points and 11 rebounds in the Delaware Blue Coats' 120-94 G-League victory over Raptors 905 on Saturday, then was available but didn't play for the Sixers at night.

The Sixers sent Reed, who has dropped behind rookie Charles Bassey as the team's No. 3 center, down to the G League so he could get some game action.

"He struggles in execution a lot, so we want to really put him through it, let him play more minutes and see if he can get through it," Rivers said.

Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes; @TomMoorePhilly

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Sixers welcome back star Joel Embiid, who has big game