Paul George scored 29 points and Tyrese Maxey hit several clutch free throws down the stretch in the 4th quarter to help the Sixers avoid a late-game collapse in Charlotte.
The Sixers ruled out four players with injuries late Wednesday morning for the second leg of their back-to-back.
The team listed Joel Embiid (left knee injury management), Paul George (left knee injury recovery), Kyle Lowry (right hip injury recovery) and Andre Drummond (right ankle sprain) as out vs. the Magic.
Embiid hasn’t played since scoring 35 points on Nov. 20 in the Sixers’ loss to the Grizzlies. Two days later, a Sixers official said Embiid was “managing swelling in his left knee.” Embiid also had a “personal reasons” injury report designation the past two games, but that has been removed.
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“The swelling’s gone down a bit,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said last Friday. “I think it’s under control pretty good. Still some soreness there. That’s about all I can say.”
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reported Wednesday that Embiid is “getting back on the court and starting his ramp-up process.”
The Sixers’ win Tuesday over the Hornets was George’s second game since returning from a left knee bone bruise. He played very well in a season-high 37 minutes, posting 29 points, eight assists and two steals.
After missing five games with a right hip strain, the 38-year-old Lowry played 13 minutes in Charlotte. Without him, Jared McCain appears in line for more playing time. Despite a strong performance against the Hornets — 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting — McCain sat for the final 8 minutes and 33 seconds.
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When the Sixers lost to the Magic on Nov. 15, McCain scored 29 of the team’s 86 points.
Orlando had a six-game winning streak snapped Tuesday night with a road loss to the Knicks, falling to 15-8. Heading into a two-game mini-series against the 5-14 Sixers on Wednesday and Friday in Philadelphia, the Magic listed Paolo Banchero (torn right oblique) and Gary Harris (left hamstring strain) as out and Goga Bitadze (right ankle sprain) as questionable.