Embiid, Harden power 76ers past Mavericks 116-108

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid got the 76ers to 50 wins in the fewest amount of games since 2001. Maybe like Allen Iverson and the ‘01 Sixers, perhaps Embiid’s next step is an MVP and a trip to the NBA Finals.

Embiid had 25 points and nine rebounds, James Harden added 15 points and 12 assists and Philadelphia beat the Dallas Mavericks 116108 on Wednesday night.

Embiid flashed his MVP credentials as he plays with a calf injury and powered the Sixers back in the fourth against Luka Doncic and got them to 50 wins in 76 games. Embiid hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 103 and followed with a 16-footer the next time down for what ended up the winning basket and keep the 76ers as the No. 3 seed in the East.

Doncic had 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Kyrie Irving scored 23 points for the Mavericks, who did not score the final 3:18 of the game.

Tyrese Maxey added 22 points to help the 76ers snap a three-game losing streak. They returned from a 1-3 trip with both Embiid and Harden healthy. Harden (Achilles) missed the last four games.

“They looked good. Not great,” coach Doc Rivers said of his returning stars.

Embiid returned from a hotly debated one-game absence against Denver and fellow MVP candidate Nikola Jokic because of a balky right calf. Embiid played in both games of a back-to-back set against Golden State and Phoenix. After a day off, Embiid couldn’t go in the anticipated showdown of MVP frontrunners, leaving the team and the All-Star center open for criticism.