Joel Embiid scores 40 points, 76ers hold off DeRozan, Bulls

CHICAGO (AP) Joel Embiid dominated with 40 points and 10 rebounds and the Philadelphia 76ers overcame DeMar DeRozan‘s season-high, 45-point game for Chicago to beat the Bulls 119-108 on Sunday.

The 76ers won the matchup between two of the Eastern Conference’s top teams after letting a 17-point lead early in the fourth quarter shrink to four.

They hung on down the stretch to beat the Bulls for the 10th straight time. They also knocked Chicago a half-game behind first-place Miami and pulled within 1 1/2 games of the idle Heat. With the 76ers’ victory, Miami clinched the best record in the East through Sunday, sending Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and his staff to the All-Star Game in Cleveland to coach Team Durant.

Embiid simply did what he wanted, hitting 14 of 23 shots.

Tobias Harris added 23 points, and Tyrese Maxey had 16, helping the Sixers shake off losses against Washington and Dallas to win for the sixth time in eight games.

DeRozan finished seven points shy of his career high. The All-Star carried Chicago with Zach LaVine (back spasms) and guard Coby White (strained right adductor) missing their second consecutive games.

Nikola Vucevic added 23 points. But Chicago lost to Philadelphia for the third time this season.

The Sixers looked as if they were ready to put this one away, leading 98-81 early in the fourth quarter after a 13-0 run that started in the third. The Bulls answered with 13 straight, pulling within four on DeRozan’s 19-footer, and it remained tight until the closing minutes.

Chicago’s Ayo Dosunmu made a 3 to make it 112-106 with just over three minutes remaining. Seth Curry answered with a floater and Harris drove for a layup to bump Philadelphia’s lead to 10 with two minutes remaining.

TIP-INS

76ers: G Matisse Thybulle (sore right shoulder) missed the game. … G Furkan Korkmaz scored nine after missing the previous three games because of a sore left knee.

Bulls: Coach Billy Donovan said he’s not sure if LaVine will play Monday, when the Bulls host Phoenix. … Donovan also said there’s »a very strong possibility» F Patrick Williams returns during the regular season. The second-year pro had surgery after tearing ligaments in his left wrist against the New York Knicks on Oct. 28 and was expected to miss four to six months. »I feel pretty good about the way he’s progressing,» Donovan said.

UP NEXT

76ers: Host Phoenix on Tuesday night.

Bulls: Host Phoenix on Monday night.

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