Paul George returns, helps Sixers defeat Clippers

The NBA got one of its key players back Monday with the return of small forward Paul George, who reappeared in the Philadelphia 76ers' 110-108 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.

The key moments from Monday's action:

A knee injury had sidelined Paul George since March. His recovery culminated Tuesday as he was inserted into the starting lineup by head coach Nick Nurse.

George, 35, played 21 minutes, with nine points, seven rebounds and three assists. The former Indiana Pacer is currently playing on a four-year, $212 million contract.

The Sixers consolidated their lead in the final minutes thanks to a three-pointer by Tyrese Maxey, who finished as the leading scorer with 39 points.

Although Joel Embiid was absent for the fourth consecutive game due to knee discomfort, the win and George's return are encouraging signs for the Sixers heading into the rest of the season.

Antetokounmpo injured

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 118-106, who barely had Giannis Antetokounmpo for 13 minutes.

The Greek star left the game in the second quarter because of muscle soreness.

Antetokounmpo, who had started the season in great form, left with 14 points, five rebounds and four assists.

The absence of the Greek allowed Donovan Mitchell to emerge as the figure of the game, with 37 points and four 3-pointers in eight attempts. The Cavaliers summed their second consecutive victory and improved their record to 12-2, occupying second place in the Eastern Division.

Heat get revenge, defeat Knicks

The Miami Heat defeated the New York Knicks 115-113 at the Kaseya Center, avenging the loss suffered last Friday.

Norman Powell led Miami's offense with 19 points, while Mexico's Jaime Jaquez Jr. continued to solidify his place in the rotation with 13 points in 32 minutes.

Although the Heat lost the battle for rebounds (60-55) and points in the paint (64-56), a defensive action in the final seconds secured the victory.

Miami improves its home record to 6-1 and moves into seventh place in the East. For the Knicks, Dominican Karl-Anthony Towns starred with a double-double of 22 points and 15 rebounds.

Bulls surprise the Nuggets with Jokic

The Chicago Bulls snapped a streak of five consecutive losses to prevail 130-127 over the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena in Denver.

Josh Giddey cemented his place as the key man for Chicago with a double-double of 21 points and 14 rebounds.