Getty Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks past Kelly Oubre Jr. #12 of the Charlotte Hornets during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center on December 11, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Philadelphia 76ers cruised to a 131-113 victory over the Hornets in the second game of their seven-game homestand. The story of the matchup was Joel Embiid who once again put forth a heroic effort and finished the matchup with 53 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, and a block. He shot an efficient 20-32 from the field including knocking down two of his three three-pointers as well as going 11-11 at the free-throw line. This was Embiid’s second 50+ point performance of the season which makes him the only player in the NBA to accomplish this feat. He also joined Wilt Chamberlain and Allen Iverson as the only players in Sixers history to record multiple 50+ point games in a season.
A look at Joel Embiid’s shot chart in tonight’s 53-point performance:
As Doc Rivers put it postgame: “He literally scored in every way that you can possibly score a basketball tonight.”
Incredibly efficient 20-32 from the field, 2-3 on 3PA, and 11-11 at the free-throw line
Following the victory, Doc Rivers was asked about Embiid play and put it, “He literally scored in every way that you can possibly score a basketball tonight.”
Embiid’s Thought’s on Performance
The Sixers superstar did not appear overly impressed with his play following the game and did his best to downplay the performance. When asked about what led to his success he put it, “I thought the ball just found me.” He also brought up the team’s mindset of finding the hot hand and was just happy that tonight it was him.
Embiid especially took over during a stretch in the second quarter. With 2:40 remaining in the first half and the Sixers holding a 48-42 lead, the big man looked like a man on a mission to end the half. He scored the Sixers’ next 13 points to push the lead to 61-52 which included three consecutive three-point plays. The Hornets left Embiid alone one-on-one with Mason Plumlee far too often and Embiid did not hesitate to punish the Charolette center.
Joel Embiid is absolutely BULLYING Mason Plumlee tonight 🤯🔥
The Hornets managed to stay within striking distance throughout the game which allowed Embiid to stay in the game and continue adding to his impressive statline. He looked especially comfortable from the mid-range in the second half and the game looked practically effortless for the superstar. Embiid also was particularly careful with the ball in the matchup and ended with just two turnovers.
Where is Embiid’s MVP Buzz?
There has been a surprising lack of traction regarding Embiid’s name in the MVP discussion so far this season. While the injuries and slow start are certainly to blame, the big man has more than regained his form of late. On the season as a whole, Embiid leads the NBA with 33.4 points per game while shooting 54.5% from the field. In addition to leading the league in 50+ point performances, he is registering a career-high in points, assists, and field goal percentage so far this season.
Joel Embiid in his last 10 games 📊
53 PTS, 12 REB
38 PTS, 12 REB, 5 AST
39 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST
35 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST, 3 BLK
19 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST, 3 STL
30 PTS, 8 REB, 7 AST
32 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST, 3 STL
32 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST, 3 BLK
59 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST, 7 BLK
42 PTS, 10 REB, 6 AST
Throughout the 18 games he has been active he is averaging 33.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.1 steals. Despite this, Embiid has not gotten much MVP buzz at all thus far and was fifth in odds before the performance. Following two straight years of finishing the season second in voting for the award, the superstar has mentioned to the media many times that he is done caring much about individual awards.
However, if the Sixers can continue on the right track and keep adding victories to the win column he will hear his name begin to receive the traction it deserves. Coming off a historic season and already looking to have added new layers to his game is incredibly impressive. The playmaking growth has been especially notable and something Embiid has put a major focus on. The route to all the individual and team goals Embiid and the Sixers have in mind all include continuing to win and climb up the Eastern Conference standings. There is still plenty to iron out with their playstyle and outlook moving forward, but Embiid will rightfully be at the center of these plans moving forward.