Joel Embiid sized up Victor Wembanyama before his first game against the star San Antonio Spurs rookie.
He then delivered a welcome-to-the-NBA moment for the ages.
The reigning MVP dominated the paint on a historic Monday night while leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 133-123 win. Embiid posted a career-high 70 points, 18 rebounds and five assists while overwhelming whatever defense the Spurs dispatched.
Historic night for Embiid, NBA
Embiid’s scoring mark set a new 76ers team record, passing Wilt Chamberlain in the process. He did so while shooting 24 of 41 from the field and 21 of 23 from the free throw line. He needed just one made 3-pointer on two attempts to reach the historic tally.
Embiid’s big game arrived on the same night Karl-Anthony Towns scored 62 points in a Minnesota Timberwolves loss to the Charlotte Hornets. It marked the fourth time in NBA history that two players scored 60-plus points on the same day and the first since 1978.
Whether it was Wembanyama, backup Zach Collins or whatever double- or triple-team the Spurs desperately threw at him, San Antonio had no answers for Embiid’s bully ball. The 76ers All-Star set the tone in the first half, posting 34 points and 10 rebounds, toying with his defenders in the post.
Embiid keeps foot on gas after halftime
Embiid somehow picked up the pace in the third quarter, where he secured his eighth-career 50-point game with more than four minutes remaining. When the quarter was over, Embiid had matched a career-high 59 points alongside 15 rebounds before taking a break on the bench.
amet voluptatem commodi quaerat non commodi et cum ut est ea fugit est in iure error dolorem aliquid. amet sint omnis et repellat ratione mollitia et quo quia aut animi mollitia.