Hope is not a strategy. It is a lack of options. Right now, it is all the Sixers have. They can hope that Joel Embiid is back for good. They can hope that his knee responds to its latest test. They can hope that he is still a player who makes a team a contender.

When considering the return of Joel Embiid, the Sixers were feeling good about their chances. The Sixers built a lead early, but the Mavs used a big second quarter to build a lead, but Philadelphia used a big third quarter to take control.

Joel Embiid had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in his first action in a month to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 118-116 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, who fell to 0-2 since trading star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.