Joel Embiid scored 53 points as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Charlotte Hornets 131-113 on Sunday night. The 76ers now sit in 5th place on the Eastern Conference standings.
As a result of his haul, Embiid becomes the third player in Sixers’ history to score more than 50 points in multiple games during the same season. Embiid joins Allen Iverson (2000-01 and 2004-05) as well as Wilt Chamberlain (1965-66 and 1967-68) in this exclusive club.
Embiid’s standout moment of the game came late in the second quarter when he scored 15 points in the last three minutes to extend the Sixers’ lead going into the break.
“He was in attack mode for the entire game,” teammate James Harden said of Embiid. “He made scoring look easy tonight. He was aggressive getting to the basket and his jumper was falling.” Following Embiid, Harden was a standout performer on the night, scoring 19 points, 16 assists, and nine rebounds.
When asked about his strong showing against the Hornets, Embiid brushed over his individual performance, instead insisting that the win was the most important achievement on the night.
