After missing 68 games, Markelle Fultz made his return to the Philadelphia 76ers last night and finished with a plus-16 in the box score as the Sixers picked up a 123-104 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Fultz, the #1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, was on a minutes restriction but he made the most of his 14 minutes on the court, scoring 10 points, dishing out eight assists and grabbing four rebounds in his long-awaited return. He even drilled a jumper from the foul line that had the crowd going crazy.
"There was a little bit of excitement," Fultz said about entering the game for the first time, according to ESPN. "And a little bit of 'I have to help the team. I don't want to let the team down.' Once I stepped out there on the floor, it felt great to be back out there with my brothers."
With the Sixers up by 20 and under three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Philly faithful started a Fultz chant to the tune of the Minnesota Vikings' "Skol" rallying cry, which prompted Brett Brown to bring the 19-year old point guard off the bench.
"I thought they were saying 'Nick Foles,''' Fultz said, per ESPN. "Then I realized it, and it was pretty dope. These fans are great, and I love them.''
Philly's win over Denver puts them in sole possession of fourth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game up on the Indiana Pacers and just one game back of the third place Cleveland Cavaliers.
Check out some highlights from Fultz's return below.