LOS ANGELES (AFP, Reuters) - National Basketball Association MVP candidate Joel Embiid emerged from quarantine Friday (March 12) only to exit his first game back with a left knee injury in the Philadelphia 76ers' 127-101 win over the Washington Wizards.

Embiid, who missed Sunday's All-Star Game because of Covid-19 restrictions, landed awkwardly on his left knee and fell to the floor halfway through the third quarter.

He was attended to by Sixers trainer Kevin Johnson before getting up and walking to the dressing room on own. The team said he had a hyper extended left knee and would not return.

Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers spoke to Embiid after the game and the all-star was in a positive mood. Rivers said team doctors would examine Embiid further on Saturday once the swelling went down.

"He fell with off balance. I am not going to speculate," Rivers said of Embiid, who finished with a team high 23 points. "He is in pretty good spirits. Let's hope for the best."

Embiid shot eight-of-11 from the floor and had seven rebounds and three assists in 20 minutes of playing time.

The Sixers led the Wizards 80-60 when Embiid was hurt. He had surgery on the same knee in 2017.

Embiid, who turns 27 on Tuesday, was playing in his first game after receiving a negative test for Covid-19 earlier Friday.

Teammate Ben Simmons, who also missed the All-Star Game last weekend, has not yet been cleared to play, needing another negative test to be green lighted after he and Embiid were exposed to a Philadelphia barber who tested positive for the coronavirus early Sunday.

Embiid entered Friday averaging 30.2 points and 11.6 rebounds in 30 games this season.

Simmons is averaging 16.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists in 31 games.

Despite missing Embiid for almost half the game and Simmons for the whole game, the Sixers still managed to win their fourth straight.

Shooting guard Shake Milton came off the bench to score 18 points and Tobias Harris tallied 14 points and eight assists in the win.

The victory kept Philadelphia atop the Eastern Conference, moving them a full game ahead of the second-place Brooklyn Nets.

Over in Memphis, the Denver Nuggets narrowly beat the Grizzlies 103-102 as Nikola Jokic finished with 28 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists, made 103-102 a hook shot with 34.7 seconds remaining and defended a Ja Morant layup attempt with three seconds left.

Will Barton and Michael Porter Jr. scored 21 points each for the Nuggets. The pair of wings picked up the scoring slack because Jamal Murray, who entered averaging 21.8 points per game, scored just three points on 1-of-14 shooting.

Dillon Brooks and Brandon Clarke topped the Grizzlies with 20 points.

In Salt Lake City, Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points to lead six Utah players in double figures as the Jazz fended off short-handed but stubborn Houston to beat the visitors 114-99.

Mitchell added seven rebounds and eight assists while Mike Conley chipped in 20 points and four assists for the Jazz. Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson scored 15 points apiece, and Rudy Gobert added 14 points, 13 rebounds and six blocked shots for Utah.

Kevin Porter Jr. tallied 27 points and eight assists in just his second game - and first start - for the Rockets, who dropped their 15th consecutive game. Sterling Brown and Kenyon Martin Jr. scored 15 points apiece for Houston.

Los Angeles Lakers' Kyle Kuzma propelled the hosts to a come-from-behind 105-100 victory over Indiana in each team's first game back from the All-Star break. The Pacers led by 12 points early in the fourth quarter.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's steal with 8.5 seconds left and subsequent pair of free throws sealed the win. Kuzma finished with team highs of 24 points and 13 rebounds, and teammate LeBron James added 18 points and 10 assists.

Malcolm Brogdon led the Pacers, scoring 18 of his game-high 29 points in the opening quarter. Indiana's Domantas Sabonis finished with 20 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.

In the contest between San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic, Rudy Gay scored 19 points off the bench, 12 of them in the fourth quarter, to lead a balanced attack as host San Antonio rolled to a 104-77 win over reeling Orlando.

Dejounte Murray and Derrick White added 17 points each for the Spurs while Patty Mills scored 13 and Keldon Johnson hit for 11.

The Magic, who lost their seventh game in a row, played with just nine available players due to injuries and Covid-19 safety protocols. Nikola Vucevic led the Magic with 26 points and nine rebounds.

Last season's runners-up Miami Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls 101-90 for their third straight win as Jimmy Butler led with 28 points and eight assists and Goran Dragic scored 20 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter.

Dragic drilled two treys as part of a personal 8-0 run early in the fourth to stretch a one-point advantage to nine. Miami prevailed despite playing without Bam Adebayo (knee) and Avery Bradley (calf).

Zach LaVine scored 30 points to go with six rebounds and six assists and Lauri Markkanen chipped in 20 points for the Bulls, who have lost the first two in a five-game homestand and four of five overall.

Over in New Orleans, the Pelicans bounced back from a 30-point loss to league-worst Minnesota the night before to rout the Cleveland Cavaliers 116-82 as Brandon Ingram scored 28 points and Zion Williamson added 23.

The Pelicans' Steven Adams had 10 points and 17 rebounds, Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 15 and Jaxson Hayes had 13 points. New Orleans held an early 16-point lead before being routed by the Timberwolves 135-105 on Thursday.

Collin Sexton scored 19 points to lead Cleveland. Quinn Cook added 13 and Larry Nance Jr., back after missing 12 games due to finger surgery, had 11.

The Cavaliers also welcomed back Kevin Love after a 33-game absence due to a calf injury. He scored four points in 10 minutes.