On January 22, 2024, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid put on a performance for the history books, setting a new franchise record for most points in a game with 70.
The Sixers played host to the San
Antonio Spurs, marking the first matchup between Embiid and then-rookie Victor Wembanyama. At the time, Embiid was in the midst of the best stretch of basketball in his career and was steamrolling to a second-straight MVP award.
For the season, he was averaging 1.03 points per minute, a mark only ever achieved by Wilt Chamberlain. He entered the matchup with 20 consecutive games scoring 30 points or more, and had no plans of letting up for the new kid on the block.
Let’s relive Embiid’s historic night.
Joel Embiid: 70 points, 37 minutes, 24-of-41 FG, 21-of-23 FT, 1-of-2 3PT, 18 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
The Sixers entered the Monday matchup winners of seven of their last eight games, and third in the Eastern Conference standings, just a game behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the second seed. The Spurs visited town with the worst record in the Western Conference, and an apparent plan for the big man.
You just have to love Gregg Popovich, because he had to have known what was about to unfold.
Very quickly it became evident the Spurs had no one equipped to slow down Embiid. He found his rhythm at the free throw line after being fouled on the team’s first possession of the game by Julian Champagnie. The next trip down, he created space using his handle on the slim Wembanyama, getting a friendly roll on a pull-up from the top of the key. A few possessions later, he hit the first overall pick with a step-back jumper, giving the defense plenty to think about.
Embiid would force a foul on Wembanyama and hit both free throws. A minute later, Embiid pinned him deep in the paint on a post up and easily shed him for a wide open dunk upon receiving the entry pass from Nicolas Batum.
Within five minutes of game action, Embiid scored 11 of the team’s 18 points. Then it was Zach Collins turn to guard him.
Immediately, Embiid had Collins hostage while battling for positioning, cut to the basket, drew a foul and converted the and-one off a slick pass from Batum. This is when we start seeing double teams, albeit weak, from the Spurs to help the man defender.
Embiid responds by doing the dirty work, getting offensive rebounds and easy putbacks over the undersized bench of San Antonio. He would also easily shoot over the double-teams from midrange, as he had been doing for most of his 30-point game stretch.
Telling of how the night would play out, Embiid concluded his first quarter dominance with a no-look backwards finish while being surrounded on the baseline. He ended the frame with 24 points, the highest first-quarter total of his career.
Embiid would receive his first stint of rest at the top of the second quarter, and return with a little over seven minutes remaining in the half.
He drew two fouls, hit all four free throws, then drained a high-arching midrange jumper over both Wembanyama and Jeremy Sochan. With a minute remaining in the half, he collected a miss from Kelly Oubre Jr. and then tipped in his own miss to tie his career-high for a first half with 32.
With under 10 seconds remaining, he drilled a midrange pull-up off a Tyrese Maxey assist to set a first-half personal best with 34 points.
For his first bucket of the second half it was more of the same, dispatching Wembanyama in the low post for an easy two which forced a quick Spurs timeout.
Whatever they discussed in the timeout did not help, as Embiid came out alternating post dominance and shooting touch over Wembanyama as he surpassed 40 and was closing in on the 50 piece. When the rookie got subbed out, Embiid turned up the havoc in the paint.
He collected a nice pass from Batum, went to a gather dribble and up strong with three defenders around him. Later he would draw a foul and drain the bucket powering through a double team of Collins and Sochan. After converting the free throw, he would score the next two buckets for the Sixers, one was a free-throw line jumper over Collins, and the next was a baseline spin into an easy layup of an entry pass from Furkan Korkmaz. That’s nine points on four straight buckets (plus a free throw) within a 90 second span of gametime.
He would add two more from the charity stripe, then drain a turnaround three over Collins to beat the shot clock at the end of the third. Accounting for his only deep ball of the night, that three brought him to 59 points (career-high entering the matchup) with one quarter remaining.
Once again, Embiid had his rest period at the beginning of the frame and re-entered with just under seven minutes remaining. He would immediately draw a foul on Sochan to reach 61, a new career-high.
The very next possession, he drained a midrange jumper over Sochan. 63.
Next possession, free-throw line jumper in front of Sochan again. 65
After a couple minutes, Blake Wesley was called for a flagrant foul. Embiid hit 1-of-2 free throws. 66.
With a couple minutes remaining, he drew a foul on Devin Vassell, hit both from the line. 68.
Then, after a savvy steal from Embiid, Maxey dished it right back to him. With the Philly faithful rising to their feet, the big man went full speed into the paint for a finger roll finish on Keldon Johnson. 70.
With the final bucket, Embiid passed Wilt Chamberlain (68) for the most points scored in a single game by a Sixer.
24 made shots ranks fourth all time for the Sixers. 21 free throws ranks fifth of all time for the Sixers.
After the game, an intimate moment between Joel Embiid, Robert Covington and Furkan Korkmaz with then Spurs assistant coach Brett Brown. After playing under Brown for the developmental stages of his career, the basketball gods ensured a poetic reunion for the former Sixers head coach to witness the historic night.
“He’s done a lot, not just for me, but for the city of Philadelphia too,” Embiid said.
The fans rejoiced, Embiid relished the moment, and his teammates, led by Tyrese Maxey, showered the big fella in praise… and water:
The Sixers take on the Houston Rockets tonight at 7 p.m. for the second half of their back-to-back. Embiid is currently listed as probable (right ankle).
