Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid is quickly becoming an underrated NBA MVP candidate this season. Despite missing some time to COVID-19 earlier in the campaign, the talented big man has returned with authority.
Just ask the laughable Orlando Magic, who had to take on Embiid and his red-hot 76ers Wednesday evening.
How good was the former lottery pick againt the worst team the NBA has to offer? Well, he pretty much pulled a combination of Klay Thompson and Kobe Bryant in Orlando.
The dude scored 50 points on 17-of-23 shooting while grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking three shots. The kicker? Embiid did this in 27 minutes of action before being pulled with Philadelphia blowing out the Magic.
You read that right. Fifty points in 27 minutes. No one on Orlando’s roster stood a chance against “The Process.” It was hilarious. Well, unless you’re one of about 25 Magic fans existing in this world.
Did the 7-foot, 280-pound Embiid just hit a stepback three? He sure the heck did. Imagine being on the other end of that highlight-reel video. Sorry, Robin Lopez. You had no chance, my friend.
Embiid then decided to stuff Jalen Suggs at the rim, treating the rookie to a “welcome to the NBA” moment — all the while running the ball down to the other end of the court for his own And-1. This is a thing that happened.
Someone ate his Wheaties this morning and has been pounding them since returning from COVID.
- Joel Embiid stats (past 14 games): 33.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 4.0 APG
That seems rather decent.
Joel Embiid joins elite company with 50-point performance
We mention Klay Thompson, because, the three-time NBA star did the same thing earlier in his career. Back on October of 2019, Klay scored 52 points in 26 minutes of action against the Chicago Bulls. He was helped out by setting an NBA-record with 14 three-pointers. Embiid is the only other player to score 50-plus points in 27 minutes or less of action in Association history.
Brooklyn Nets star James Harden also once dropped 60 points in a game when he was a member of the Houston Rockets. That came in just 30 minutes against the Atlanta Hawks.
Back in 2005-06, late-great former Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant scored 62 points in 33 minutes of action against the Dallas Mavericks.
Yeah, Joel Embiid finds himself in some great company. The difference? He did this while hitting just that one three-pointer. Insanity!