Tuesday 12 March 2019 11:18, UK
Every week, we’ll look back over the previous seven days of NBA action and identify the players who made noise on – and in some cases - off the court. Which players dominated the headlines in NBA week 21?
"I'm back" - Two simple words that reflected the 'back to business' approach from 'The Process' as he returned from an eight-game injury absence to power the Sixers to a 106-89 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night with 33 points and 12 rebounds in just 27 minutes.
Philadelphia had survived while Embiid was out, recuperating from left knee soreness, going 4-4 since the All-Star Break.
But with him back in the starting line-up, they comfortably dismissed one of their biggest conference rivals and rose to third in the East standings.
Embiid being Embiid, his work on court was only half the story.
With a subconscious satirical nod to the NBA's tampering issues, Real Madrid fan Embiid took to Twitter and attempted some cross-sport tapping up of Eden Hazard.
Not content, he then showed off the 'Furrari' basket he'd purchased for his new puppy named, at least in some part, after former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie.
Just another week of social media dominance from the Sixers' star man.
Have Kyrie's team-building activities on a cross-country flight finally forged the unity the Boston Celtics will need to push their way into the top-four places in the Eastern Conference?
According to a report by Jay King of The Athletic, the Celtics' six-hour flight to the west coast featured Kyrie singing, DJing and initiating card and dice games with his team-mates.
It might not sound like much, but in the context of the turbulent season the Celtics have endured - much of it caused by Irving's upcoming free agency and his public criticism of his younger colleagues - it represents significant progress for a team desperate to come together before the playoffs begin.
"It was a good ride," forward Marcus Morris told King. "It kind of changed the outlook on everything. And I think it carried over into the game."
Morris' team-mate Marcus Smart concurred. "Everybody was together. Everybody was interacting with one another. All smiles and laughs."
That was reflected on the court, where Boston won the first three games of their road trip. A 33-point blowout of the Golden State Warriors was followed by a dramatic 111-109 triumph in Sacramento before they dismissed the Lakers 120-107 on Sunday night.
Paul George was handed a $25,000 fine on Saturday after he criticised the performance of the officials following the Oklahoma City Thunder's 118-110 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
George claimed he and his team-mates hadn't "got a fair whistle" and said they had been "scratched, clawed, held [and] shoved" by their opponents.
Clippers point guard Beverley, renowned for his hard-nosed defense, disagreed with George's assessment and issued a rebuttal on Twitter with all the confidence of a man dealing only in facts.
MVP favourite Giannis Antetokounmpo hogs most of the headlines generated by the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks, but there's more than one reason to fear the deer.
Center Brook Lopez, whose transformation from low-post scorer into a three-point shooting machine has played a massive role in Milwaukee's ascension of the Eastern Conference standings this season, erupted for 18 third-quarter points as the Bucks fought back from a 14-point first-half deficit to beat the Charlotte Hornets 131-114 and become the first NBA side to reach 50 wins.
Coach Mike Budenholzer was effusive in his praise of Lopez after the game.
Week 21 ended with injury concerns for the T-Wolves' 7ft center, who was forced to sit out Minnesota's 103-92 win over cellar dwellers the New York Knicks on Sunday night.
After the victory - their third of the week, Wolves coach Ryan Saunders confirmed Towns had avoided serious injury and had sat out as a precaution.
Until then, Towns had looked virtually unstoppable, scoring 41 points to power the T-Wolves to victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 5 then hitting 40 again four days later to seal a 135-130 over win over the Washington Wizards.
In the seven games Towns has played since returning after suffering a concussion in a car accident, he has averaged 35.1 points and 14.3 rebounds and looked every inch a franchise cornerstone.
Minnesota sit 10th in the West and their hopes of reaching the postseason are slim at best, especially given the difficulty of their remaining schedule. But a fit and firing Towns could propel them up the standings very quickly should the Clippers, Jazz or Spurs falter down the stretch.
