Joel Embiid had a performance that will go down in the record books.
The big man finished with a career-high 59 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, and 7 blocks during Philadelphia’s victory over Utah on Sunday. He had 26 points and 5 blocks in just the fourth quarter. It was an utterly masterful display of dominance unlike anything else we have seen on record in league history.
After finishing second place in MVP voting two years in a row, Embiid began the season suffering from plantar fasciitis. He then dealt with a non-COVID illness but has since found his rhythm, exceeding 100 points over the course of a two-day stretch.
😁 Joel Embiid & Tyrese Maxey #BrotherlyLove | #PhantomCam pic.twitter.com/IxYmqKwcXG
— NBA (@NBA) November 14, 2022
As you can see in the clip above, nobody was more thrilled about Embiid’s performance than teammate Tyrese Maxey.
On the final possession of the game, Maxey encouraged the big man to score one more time so that he could finish with 60 points. Maxey told reporters he tried to get the ball to his teammate, but ultimately, Embiid turned down the opportunity because he was tired.
Maxey pushing Embiid to go for 60? 😂 pic.twitter.com/xMbM94Zc39
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 14, 2022
He also admitted that down the stretch, Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers told Maxey to run a pick and roll — and the guard thought it would be best to just feed the hot hand and get the ball to Embiid instead.
It was a smart call on Maxey’s behalf. Embiid finished with 66 touches in the frontcourt, significantly more than his average (50.7) before the game.
Embiid said that “all the credit” for his success goes to his teammates.
Tyrese Maxey: "If you ask me any questions about anything other than Joel Embiid, I'm not answering them. I'm not even lying."
— Austin Krell (@NBAKrell) November 14, 2022
During his postgame press conference, Maxey joked that if anyone asked about anything other than Embiid, he wouldn’t even bother answering the question.
He added that Embiid is simply very good at basketball, and there is nothing else that needs to be said.
Considering that some fans have not been happy with Rivers as a coach in Philadelphia (this diss track about firing him is amazing, by the way), maybe it is time the 76ers empower players like Embiid and Maxey to have more of a say in the offensive gameplan.
