The Sixers’ Joel Embiid cleared to face the Wizards Friday night in Washington

WASHINGTON — Joel Embiid was cleared to play in Friday night’s game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena.

This comes after the 76ers All-Star center missed Thursday’s 127-105 road victory over the Chicago Bulls while in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. He found himself in the protocols after coming in contact with a barber who tested positive for COVID-19. Embiid had to quarantine for seven days following the last exposure with the barber.

He returned to play once he received a lab-based PCR negative result on Friday. It was his seventh straight day of testing negative. Ben Simmons also came in contact with the same barber. He will be cleared to rejoin the team on Saturday if he continues to test negative.

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The Sixers (25-12) welcome Embiid’s presence. The NBA MVP candidate averages 30.2 points (second in the league) and 11.6 rebounds (seventh). In two games against the Wizards (14-21), he has averaged 33.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.0 blocks. Friday’s contest marks the third and final time the teams will meet in the regular season.

The game will feature the league’s top two scorers, as Washington’s Bradley Beal is averaging an NBA-best 32.5 points.

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The shooting guard scored a career-high 60 points in the teams’ last meeting, a 141-136 Sixers win on Jan. 6. Beal made 20 of 35 shots, including going 7-for-10 on three-pointers. He also had seven rebounds, five assists, one steal, and four turnovers.

Embiid scored 10 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Sixers to victory.

The Sixers are a half-game ahead of the Brooklyn Nets (25-13) atop the Eastern Conference standings.