Joel Embiid might have taken himself out of the #1 spot in the MVP race when he didn’t play the game against Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets last week. However, he might have covered it up in the best way possible.
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His 52 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks in the statement win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday have probably put him back where Philly fans think he should be.
76ers head coach, Doc Rivers, for one, thinks the MVP race is already over with this performance by the Cameroonian big man.
The morale-boosting win, along with a tremendous game in his resume for the terrific season, and his HC’s praise are not the only things he achieved on the big night.
Joel Embiid is the 1st player since Michael Jordan to put up 50/10/5 while taking 25 or lesser shots
One thing people haven’t noticed about the tremendous season of the Sixers’ big man because of his 2-way monstrosity, is how efficient he has been this season. He put it on full display against the Celtics when he shot 20 out of his 25 attempts in the game.
That made him the first player since Michael Jordan (in 1992) to put up a 50/10/5 game with 25 or lesser shots.
What was glaring about his dominating performance was that he did it while all his teammates except for PJ Tucker were failing to hit shots late in the game.
As a result, he had to take care of the business himself. And he did. The 2022 scoring champ didn’t just outclass Jayson Tatum’s side but also outscored his own team (51) by a point. Egregious!
How good are the Sixers for the championship?
While Embiid is on a tear, James Harden is quietly becoming the best point guard in the league. Who could imagine The Beard having a 20-10 game without a turnover?
Well, that’s what he did against the Celtics in the close win. If he continues to be this errorless, any team is going to have a very tough time beating the Sixers. As of now he is averaging 3.4 TOVs a game and a league-leading 10.8 assists per game.
Meanwhile, Joel has upped his ante from last season and is again leading the league in scoring with 33 points per game. The team is clearly good enough for a championship, only if these two carry their form to the post-season.
