Joel Embiid started off this year slow. It seemed like he could not find a rhythm, and there were some games where he just seemed like a shell of himself. Since James Harden's injury, Embiid has come alive, and last night, he had the best game of his career.
Joel Embiid Carries Sixers
In the YouTube video below, you can watch Embiid completely dismantle the Utah Jazz. Embiid lifted his team to a 105-98 victory, which keeps them competitive in the Eastern Conference. It was a spectacular win, that saw Embiid score a whopping 59 points.
Simply put, Embiid put up some Wilt Chamberlain numbers. Additionally, some fans compared this to an NBA 2K "My Career" game. Embiid finished the match with 59 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, and seven blocks. He was extremely close to hitting a quadruple double, which is a massive feat.
According to Stat Muse on Twitter, this game actually made history. Prior to Embiid, no one had ever hit 50 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 blocks in a game. That is simply sensational, and it just goes to show that Embiid is one of the biggest forces in the NBA right now. He was close to winning MVP last year, however, it was Nikola Jokic who ultimately brought home the big prize.
The fact that the Sixers were close to losing despite this kind of performance, does spell issues for the team. Embiid basically had to deliver an unworldly and unprecedented performance, just to win the game. This is simply unsustainable, although we're sure Embiid doesn't mind racking up some truly impressive accolades in the process.
This is a record that will probably stand for a very long time. There are very few players who can drum up these kinds of statlines, although Embiid is one of them. Hopefully, he can continue to prove his dominance this year. The league is a lot more fun when players achieve this level.
[Via]
