Magic 76ers Basketball

Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid goes up for a dunk during the first half of his team’s 123-110 win Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic. Matt Slocum/Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid tied his career high with 50 points in just 27 minutes, leading a dominant third quarter that carried the Philadelphia 76ers to a 123-110 victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

Embiid also had 12 rebounds and three blocks while making 17 of 23 field goals and 15 of 17 free throws. The four-time All-Star and MVP candidate played just 58 seconds of the fourth quarter.

Tobias Harris added 21 points for the 76ers, who have won 9 of 11.

Mo Bamba set career highs with 32 points and seven 3-pointers for Orlando. The rebuilding Magic dropped to an NBA-worst 8-38 with their third straight loss and 13th defeat in the last 14 games.

Philadelphia was booed off the court at halftime, trailing 57-47. But the 76ers came out determined after the break, using a 17-6 run over the first 5:05 to jump in front, 64-63. Embiid finally got some help from his teammates during the spurt, as Tyrese Maxey drained a pair of 3-pointers.

Embiid, who entered averaging 27.3 points, took over from there, scoring in a variety of ways in a breathtaking third quarter that matched his similarly stellar first quarter. He was serenaded with “MVP! MVP!” chants on two trips to the free-throw line in the quarter, and brought the fans roaring to their feet when he made a 3-pointer with 25 seconds left in the quarter that gave Philadelphia its largest lead to that point, 92-80.

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It gave Embiid 47 points for the game and 23 in the third quarter in which he shot 8 of 10.

Embiid re-entered with 7:23 left in the fourth and quickly got to 49 points with a pair of free throws 15 seconds later. Then, Embiid was fouled by Mamba, who fouled out on the play with 6:26 left. With the crowd standing, he made the first free throw to reach 50 points before misfiring on the second. Coach Doc Rivers quickly subbed him out.

NETS 119, WIZARDS 118: Kyrie Irving scored 22 of his 30 points in the first half, and visiting Brooklyn held off Washington when Kyle Kuzma and Spencer Dinwiddie missed 3-pointers in the final seconds.

Washington trailed by as many as 16 points, but a 3-pointer by Kuzma cut the lead to one with 36 seconds left. That set the stage for a wild finish. Irving missed a 3 for Brooklyn, but the Wizards couldn’t secure the rebound. Then James Harden had a shot blocked by Montrezl Harrell, giving Washington the ball.

The Wizards didn’t call a timeout, and the ball ended up with Kuzma, who missed from the left wing. Harrell’s offensive rebound gave Dinwiddie a last-ditch shot against his former team, but that was off the mark as well.

HEAT 104, TRAIL BLAZERS 92: Caleb Martin scored 26 points, Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and short-handed Miami defeated visiting Portland.

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Dewayne Dedmon scored 12 for the Heat, who played ithout Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro – then lost Jimmy Butler to a first-half ejection.

Lowry missed the game for personal reasons. Herro entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols on Wednesday.

HAWKS 134, TIMBERWOLVES 122: Trae Young scored 23 of his 37 points in the third quarter, sparking Atlanta to a comeback win against visiting Minnesota.

Led by Young, who had 14 assists, the Hawks opened the second half with a 20-2 run after the Timberwolves led 73-61 at halftime. Minnesota’s biggest lead was 16 points in the first quarter.

D’Angelo Russell led Minnesota with 31 points.

BULLS 117, CAVALIERS 104: DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points, Nikola Vucevic added 24 points and 12 rebounds, and struggling Chicago ended the game on a 14-2 run to hold off visiting Cleveland.

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The Bulls steadied themselves after losing a season-high four straight and falling into a first-place tie with Miami in the Eastern Conference.

Markkanen led Cleveland with 28 points.

BUCKS 126, GRIZZLIES 114: Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points and 15 rebounds, and Khris Middleton scored 27 to lead Milwaukee to a victory at home against short-handed Memphis.

Memphis, which had won 12 of 13, was without two of its leading scorers in Dillon Brooks and Desmond Bane. Brooks, averaging 18.4 points per game, sat out because of a left ankle sprain, while Bane (17.7 ppg) is in the NBA’s health and safety protocol.

Ja Morant had 33 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 29 for Memphis in the opener of a four-game road swing.

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