Joel Embiid has once again proven his immense value to the Philadelphia 76ers. His team won 121:111 against the Toronto Raptors, and Embiid achieved something historic.
Ball in hand, basket in sight: Joel Embiid (right) tries to throw against Jakob Pöltl (left) and OG Anunoby. Getty Images
Thirteen games in a row with at least 30 points and ten rebounds: a series like this hasn’t happened in the NBA in just over 50 years. Back then, a certain Kareem Abdul-Jabbar succeeded in the 1971/72 season, previously Elgin Baylor (1961/62) and six different times the legendary Wilt Chamberlain.
Even if you have long since gotten used to the outstanding performances of Joel Embiid, the league’s current MVP, such numbers make you sit up and take notice.
Embiid downplays his ankle injury
With 31 points, ten rebounds and nine assists, the 29-year-old contributed to his Philadelphia 76ers’ 121:111 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday evening (local time) – and was in good company. The trio of him and his two teammates Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey alone scored 97 points, each of them scoring more than 30. This had only happened once before in the history of the franchise in 1961: At that time the team was still called the Syracuse Nationals.
Embiid had already sprained his ankle in the first quarter, but he fought through it and turned it around. Even though he was limping and in pain at times, he didn’t want to make the issue too big afterwards. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll get it checked out, we’ll see.” His coach Nick Nurse was “pretty sure his ankle is going to hurt tomorrow.” You have to keep an eye on it before the next game in Miami.
Schröder with poor throwing yield
For the Raptors, national player Dennis Schröder only got six points and six assists as well as two rebounds due to poor shooting. With eleven wins and 17 defeats, the Canadians are currently not even in one of the four places for the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, without the injured Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and Maxi Kleber, the Dallas Mavericks lost 96:122 to the Houston Rockets. The Golden State Warriors, who started the season weakly, achieved their fourth win in a row with a 129:118 win against the Washington Wizards.
2023-12-23 08:39:18
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