Joel Embiid reappears with 76ers and scores 34 points against Hornets

Joel Embiid, wearing a protective mask after missing one game due to a sinus fracture, scored 24 of his points in the second half for the 76ers, who have won four of their last five games.

The Sixers star, Joel Embiidwas at his best in his return to the starting lineup on Friday night, scoring a game-high 34 points to lead Philadelphia to a 108-98 victory over the visiting Charlotte Hornets.

Embiid, sporting a black protective mask after a one-game absence due to a sinus fracture, scored 24 of his points in the second half for the Sixers, who have won four of their last five games. He made 12 of 24 field goals and added 5 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in 31 minutes.

Embiid was injured last Friday when Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin hit him in the face while going for a defensive rebound. He sat out his team’s 121-108 victory over the Hornets on Monday.

Friday marked just the seventh game of the season for Embiid, who has been plagued by knee soreness.