Embiid sprains shoulder in loss

CLEVELAND » Collin Sexton scored 28 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers rolled to a 108-94 win Wednesday night over the Philadelphia 76ers, who lost AllStar center Joel Embiid with a sprained left shoulder in the first quarter.

The 76ers, already playing without All-Star guard Ben Simmons, never led against the team with the worst record in the Eastern Conference and fell to 9-21 on the road.

Embiid collided with Cavaliers center Ante Zizic while being fouled late in the first quarter. The 7-footer held his shoulder in obvious pain but stayed in the game and missed both free throws.

The Sixers pulled Embiid at the next time stoppage and he walked to the locker room while rubbing his shoulder. He briefly returned to the bench in the second quarter, but went back for more evaluation and treatment. At halftime, Embiid rejoined his teammates on the bench with a wrap on his injured shoulder.

Sixers coach Brett Brown, sensing his team was in early trouble, called timeout two minutes into the game, but Cleveland steadily built its lead. The Cavaliers shot 58% in the first half and led 70-50 midway through the third quarter. Philadelphia cut the lead to 8580 in the fourth, but got no closer.

Tristan Thompson had 14 points and 13 rebounds while Larry Nance Jr. scored 13 points and had 15 rebounds for Cleveland, which had five players in double figures. Cavaliers center Andre Drummond didn’t play because of a strained left calf.

Shake Milton, who replaced Simmons in the starting lineup, scored 20 points. Furkan Korkmaz scored 14 points and Alec Burks had 13.

Simmons missed his second straight game because of a nerve impingement in his lower back. The team hasn’t given a timeline on when he’ll be back.

After hosting New York, Philadelphia will begin a four-game trip in Los Angeles on Sunday. Philadelphia is fifth in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavaliers are 3-1 under coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who took over when John Beilein resigned during the AllStar break.

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76ERS » Host New York on Thursday.

NEW YORK » The NBA fined 76ers center Joel Embiid $25,000 on Wednesday, two days after he made an obscene gesture on the court and used profane language during a live television interview.

In announcing the fine, the NBA noted that the amount “reflects his multiple prior violations of acceptable on-court decorum.”

The gesture occurred with 17 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the Sixers’ 129-112 victory over the Hawks on Monday. With the clock winding down, Atlanta’s Kevin Huerter came from behind and swiped the ball from Embiid, who was trying to dribble it out. Embiid responded by flashing a middle finger at Huerter. He later apologized.

Embiid scored a career-high 49 points in the game.

Afterward, in a postgame walkoff interview, he tried to clarify after calling himself the best player in the world following an excellent performance last week against Brooklyn. His interview included profanity.