Joel Embiid, James Harden back for 76ers against Mavericks

PHILADELPHIA — Both Joel Embiid (calf) and James Harden (Achilles) returned to the lineup for the 76ers against the Dallas Mavericks at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night.

Embiid, who missed Monday's showdown with fellow MVP front-runner Nikola Jokic in Denver — a game that became Philadelphia's fourth loss in five games — tested out the injury in his usual pregame workout about 50 minutes before tipoff and was deemed able to play.

Embiid, who is leading the league in scoring at 33.3 points per game, has been dealing with the calf issue since sitting out the second half of last Wednesday's victory in Chicago.

Harden, meanwhile, is returning to the lineup after missing the past four games with left Achilles soreness. Harden played 47 minutes March 20 in a home loss to the Chicago Bulls in overtime, going 2-for-14 from the field, before limping in the locker room after the game.

He then sat out in Chicago and through Philadelphia's West Coast road trip to Golden State on Friday, Phoenix on Saturday and Denver on Monday — though he went through shootaround Monday, a workout that culminated with a dunk he finished off after throwing an alley-oop to himself off the backboard.

Coach Doc Rivers said Harden came in for an additional workout Tuesday, on what was otherwise an off-day for the Sixers after they returned home from their trip.

Philadelphia entered Wednesday night's game two losses behind the Boston Celtics for second in the Eastern Conference standings, though the Celtics own the tiebreaker, and three losses ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers (and holding the tiebreaker) for third.

Dallas, meanwhile, will have Maxi Kleber, who was questionable due to recovery from a right hamstring injury, in the lineup. The