<p>CLEVELAND — Shake Milton scored 27 points, Dwight Howard had 18 points and 15 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers finished a six-game road trip without injured star center Joel Embiid by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-94 on Thursday night.</p>
<p>The Sixers, who were beaten twice by the Cavs earlier this season, went 4-2 on their trip as they wait for Embiid to get back from a knee injury. They were also able to stay on Brooklyn’s heels for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.</p>
<p>Seth Curry made five 3-pointers and scored 19 points, and Milton’s scoring off the bench helped offset an off night for Ben Simmons, who went just 2 of 11 from the floor but had 13 rebounds. Howard made 6 of 7 shots while matching his season-high.</p>
<p>Philadelphia’s defense clamped down on Cleveland in the third quarter, holding the Cavs to 17 points. The Sixers then pulled away early in the fourth thanks to two 3-pointers from Milton, who went 5 of 7 beyond the arc.</p>
<p>Collin Sexton scored 24 points to lead the Cavs, who welcomed back forward Kevin Love. The five-time All-Star played in just his fifth game this season because of a calf strain and finished with 13 points in 20 minutes — only five after halftime.</p>
<p>Matthew Dellavedova made his season debut for Cleveland after being out with a concussion and appendectomy. The crowd favorite didn’t score but had five assists in 16 minutes.</p>
<p>Embiid missed his 10th straight game with a bone bruise in his left knee, an injury he sustained dunking on March 12.</p>
<p>He’s close to returning — Saturday’s game against Minnesota seems likely — and the Sixers are expected to provide a medical update Friday on their talented big man, who was one of the MVP frontrunners before he got hurt. </p>
<p>While they missed him, the Sixers also figured out some things without Embiid as Philly’s reserves were forced to play a larger role.</p>
<p>Love wasted no time making an impact. </p>
<p>After getting a warm ovation, Love made his first three shots, two of them 3-pointers, and scored 10 points in the first quarter. He was on a minutes restriction, but Bickerstaff inserted him back in the game in the second quarter when it appeared the 32-year-old was still catching his breath.</p>
<p>Love and Dellavedova gave the Cavs much needed depth as forward Larry Nance Jr. (illness), center Jarrett Allen (concussion) and forward Dylan Windler (knee) were all out.</p>
<p>TIP-INS</p>
<p>76ers: Improved to 7-3 without Embiid. … Coach Doc Rivers will do his best to balance rest and health down the stretch but made it clear Philadelphia will “want to get” the East’s top seed. … One of the game’s most revered coaches, Rivers has enjoyed being a mentor to younger coaches across the league. He also loves to pick their brains. “I’m tired of hearing the same old ideas,” he cracked.</p>
<p>Cavaliers: Love and Dellavedova missed a combined 90 games, depriving the Cavs of experience and on-court leadership. … Bickerstaff has talked to Darius Garland about being more of a vocal leader, which doesn’t come naturally to the 21-year-old. “It’s not in his nature,” Bickerstaff said. “He’s a leader by example mostly.”… Garland is one of just six players in the Eastern Conference averaging at least 16 points, five assists and shooting better than 39% on 3-pointers and 83% from the line.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>76ers: Return home and host the Timberwolves on Saturday.</p>
<p>Cavaliers: Visit Miami on Friday looking to end an inexplicable 19-game losing streak in South Florida. Cleveland last won in Miami on Jan. 25, 2010.</p>
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