Embiid endures to spark Sixers

Shakes off hand injury to fuel win over Spurs

PHILADELPHIA » Joel Embiid went from doubtful to dominant, using a sprained right hand that nearly sidelined him to instead rock the rim, swat shots and stop the Spurs.

“I want to be out there with them. I don’t want to quit on them,” Embiid said.

Ruled out by the 76ers before tipoff, Embiid made the call to push through and play, and then dealt San Antonio a rare bad hand in Philadelphia. Embiid had 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead the 76ers to a 112-106 win over the Spurs on Wednesday night.

The Sixers needed all 35 minutes from Embiid to knock off short-handed San Antonio and snap a 12-game losing streak to the Spurs.

It was the same old Embiid during the 76ers’ fast start. He grabbed a rebound and had a putback for the first score of the game and had six points and six rebounds in the first quarter.

He slammed home an alleyoop in the third and never even looked at his hand as he sank a free throw to finish the play.

“I was fine. Nothing to worry about,” Embiid said.

Embiid, who blocked four shots, sat by his locker and had several minutes of treatment to try and prevent further swelling. He had an anti-inflammatory gel gently massaged into the palm of his massive hand. Embiid’s flexed his fingers before his bruised hand was wrapped in ice.

“That’s a gutsy effort,” coach Brett Brown said.

Brown fleeced his good friend and former boss, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, on the condition of his cornerstone center during their pregame chat. Popovich learned only minutes before tipoff that Embiid — and not listed center Amir Johnson — was in the

lineup.

“I’m glad he played,” Popovich said. “I want to see him play. He’s great.”

Embiid suffered the injury in a hard fall Saturday against the Suns and had said before the game his hand was swollen and he couldn’t shoot. But he used a soft touch to sink a couple of jumpers during pregame drills, and that was enough to convince the Sixers he could play.

The Sixers blew a 16-point lead and might have been thumped from the outset had the Spurs not sat five players.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich benched Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and Rudy Gay with his team playing the second of backto-back games.

Ben Simmons put the Sixers ahead 106-103 on a goaltended basket and free throw. JJ Redick buried a long jumper — with an assist from Embiid — and Simmons shook the rim with a dunk that brought the fans to their feet and sealed the win.

“It’s a team that didn’t have a full-strength roster,” Brown said, “but it in my eyes, it’s still the San Antonio Spurs.”

Tip-Ins

MATT SLOCUM — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Sixers center Joel Embiid, left, and San Antonio Spurs’ Brandon Paul chase after a loose ball during the second half Wednesday.

MATT SLOCUM — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Ben Simmons goes up for a shot against San Antonio’s Davis Bertans during the first half Wednesday.