The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers meet Friday night in an Atlantic Division game at the Wells Fargo Center.
After missing four games with an ankle injury, Joel Embiid returned Tuesday to lead Philadelphia as the 9.5-point home favorite with a 110-97 victory over Chicago.
The Sixers jumped out to a 25-point advantage at the end of the first quarter, and Embiid was on track with a triple-double of 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists.
The Knicks just won back-to-back home games against the Timberwolves and Bulls.
New York easily emerged as the eight-point favorite to win against Chicago 116-100 on Wednesday.
New York improved to 6-1 in its last seven games at Madison Square Garden, with Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson combining for 66 points for the Knicks.
Road was a different story for the Knicks. The Knicks are 3-7 in their last 10 away games against MSG, but have a middling record of 9-10-1 on the road this season.
Philadelphia won two of three games against New York last season, including an 11-point win at Wells Fargo Center.
The division rivals will meet for the first time this season, having split the last four meetings in Philadelphia.
Would you like to bet on the NBA?
The 76ers are 7-1 in their last eight home games and will receive a much-needed boost with Embiid back in action.
Here's a side-by-side comparison between Philadelphia and a New York team that is looking to acquire new players in last week's trade, and a New York team that has been on shaky ground lately.
play: 76ers -5.5 (Fanduel).
