Kevin Durant made his return to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night for the first time in two weeks. Joel Embiid spoiled the party.

Unlike the last time Durant was on the court, the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Nets 110-102, led by huge performances from Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

That spoiled a big night from Durant, who did everything he could to get the win but fell just short, and James Harden's triple-double.

During Durant's absence—he last played in a 114-105 win over the Sixers on Dec. 16—the Nets went 2-1 and had three games postponed on account of COVID-19. And it sure looked as though the 23-10 Nets would pick up a third straight win Thursday, too.

But Embiid, Maxey and the 19-16 Sixers had other ideas, pulling away from Brooklyn late in the fourth quarter. Things even got a bit chippy between the teams down the stretch, a carryover from the last matchup.

It was a statement win for a Sixers team that was without head coach Doc Rivers (health and safety protocols).

Key Stats

Joel Embiid, PHI: 34 points, seven rebounds

Tyrese Maxey, PHI: 25 points, seven rebounds

Tobias Harris, PHI: Nine points, 4-of-14 from the field

Kevin Durant, BRK: 33 points, six rebounds

James Harden, BRK: 33 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists

LaMarcus Aldridge, BRK: 12 points, eight rebounds

You Didn't Actually Think Durant Would Be Rusty, Did You?

We're talking about the greatest scorer alive, people. Of course he was going to return with a bang. 

The Nets have been hit hard by COVID-19 this season. The Kyrie Irving situation has left them down a star player and certainly added a bizarre flavor to their campaign. And through it all, they keep on winning, and Durant keeps on scoring. 

There are a lot of worthy MVP candidates to this point in the season. Durant is undoubtedly one of them.

Imagine Embiid with More Help

The Sixers have some solid role players. Curry is a great shooter. Danny Green is a nice two-way player. Matisse Thybulle is one of the NBA's best defenders. Maxey showed yet again on Thursday he is oozing potential. Tobias Harris is overpaid and performed poorly Thursday night, but he'd be a solid third scorer on a contender. 

The issue is that Embiid doesn't have a star running mate, and it's shown all season long. By now it's pretty clear that player is never going to be Ben Simmons, who may never play again for the Sixers anyway. 

Embiid can get this group into the postseason. He's a genuine MVP candidate. He's awesome, and the Nets had no answers for him Thursday.

But imagine him with a true star running mate. Imagine players like Harris, Maxey and Curry being allowed to be role players rather than needing to rotate as the team's second scorer each night. It's a scary thought for the rest of the Eastern Conference if it ever happens. It's a terrifying thought for Sixers fans if it doesn't.

What's Next?

The Nets will host the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Sixers are off until Monday when they'll host the Houston Rockets at 7 p.m. ET.