Joel Embiid made history on the parquet floors of the Wells Fargo Center when the Philadelphia 76ers hosted the Utah Jazz in a must-win game to help them reach .500 on the season. Embiid stepped up to the plate without James Harden by his side 24 hours after a 42-point performance against the Atlanta Hawks and dominated, scoring 59 points against the Utah Jazz.
Embiid’s 59 points were accompanied by 11 rebounds, 8 assists, and 7 blocks, a truly incredible stat line and arguably one of the greatest individual performances in the modern history of the game.
Embiid could have easily had a 60-point night if he had made more free throws, going 20-24 on the night. As he told the interviewer that he missed too many free throws, teammate Tyrese Maxey jumped at the center in joy and jokingly told him that he sucked.
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Maxey was the only other 76er to score double-digit points on the night, as Embiid scored over 50% of the team’s points on the night. His 18 points were crucial, especially with the absence of James Harden in this game.
Can This Spark A Comeback From The 76ers?
The 76ers were expected to be among the best teams in the Eastern Conference, but so far, they have looked far from that. Doc Rivers and his coaching staff have to feel like they are under a lot of pressure right now, especially with a mystery team allegedly gathering intel on Ime Udoka for a shock mid-season coaching change.
If the 76ers are that mystery team, coach Rivers might be out of his seat before he gets a chance to right the ship. After winning this back-to-back against 2 dangerous teams, the Hawks and the Jazz, Philly will hope to keep the momentum going against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday after a lengthy layoff next week.
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