Tuesday night, in his return from a sprained right ankle, Joel Embiid recorded 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists. Tyrese Maxey added 21 points, and the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Chicago Bulls 110-97.

Embiid was absent from all four games of the 76ers’ 2-2 holiday road journey. Three nights prior, the Sixers suffered a 105-92 loss in Chicago, a contest in which they never held the lead in the second half.

For good reason, Embiid is the reigning NBA MVP. The Sixers converted this into an early-morning rout against the Bulls, who had been performing admirably despite the absence of injured player Zach LaVine. LaVine could potentially re-enter the lineup on Friday. The two-time All-Star would not have made much of a difference in this contest, as the Bulls finished the season 10-6 without him.

The 76ers rushed to a 43-18 halftime lead, while the Bulls failed on all ten of their three-point attempts.

DeMar DeRozan tallied 16 points to lead the Bulls. Andre Drummond recorded eleven points and seventeen rebounds. To the delight of the home audience, he bungled a dunk when he was obstructed by the front of the rim. Patrick Williams, a forward, withdrew due to a right ankle injury.

That night unfolded in Philadelphia, where the 76ers maintained their recent run of easy victories. In November, they defeated LeBron James by a margin of 44 points, the widest in his professional career. A 45-point victory over Washington and a 32-point triumph over Detroit were recorded.

Numerous NBA contests consist of back-and-forth trips. The Sixers have been particularly effective at home in establishing double-digit leads and holding on for the ride, especially against poor opponents or an undermanned squad like the Bulls (Nikola Vucevic sat out), and cruising to effortless victories.

The routs also provide an opportunity for Embiid to recover after he recorded his seventh career triple-double in the third quarter. Withdrawal from the fourth quarter. Eminid surpassed his franchise records by scoring 30 points in 15 consecutive games and by accumulating 10 rebounds in 14 consecutive games.

The Sixers completed 12 of their initial 16 attempts, including 7 of 9 from three-point range. Their initial outburst resulted in a 25-point advantage, which was their largest at the conclusion of the first quarter since April 11, 2018, when they led Milwaukee by 28 points.

At halftime, Eminid possessed 22 points, while Kelly Oubre Jr. tallied 16. The 73-42 advantage was the twelfth occasion in franchise history that the Sixers held a halftime lead of 31 points or more.

Although Embiid jumped, spun, and cut, his ankle never appeared to trouble him. His triple-double was even accomplished with a no-look pass. Embiid continues to lead the league in scoring with 35 points per game despite missing contests.