Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid has rewrote the franchise record books, breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s single-game points record in a 133-123 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.
Embiid dropped a career-high 70 points, which was done just 13 times before the big man achieved the feat. He became the ninth player to do so.
Chamberlain still holds the record for most in a single game with 100, but his Philadelphia career-high was 68 points. Embiid’s left-handed transition layup late in the fourth quarter gave him the record. Wells Fargo Center erupted in applause as 76ers fans knew what was at stake when the ball hit off the glass.
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Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots a free throw during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Embiid finished the game 24-of-41 from the field, which is an unprecedented number of shots, but when you’re shooting at a 58.5% clip, no one on the Sixers is going to be mad about it.
He was also making it to the free throw line a ton, making 21 of his 23 chances there.
Embiid was also raking in rebounds, collecting 18 on the night to become the first ever player in league history to do so. He also added five assists to his total.
Embiid’s previous career-high was a 59-point performance against the Utah Jazz last November.
This once-in-a-lifetime game for Embiid came on a night where Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama was highlighted because it was the first time he was facing Embiid, the reigning NBA MVP.
Embiid clearly didn’t care for all the talk and buzz surrounding Wembanyama, as he was clearly the star of the show, but “Wemby” certainly held his own in the hostile environment, dropping 33 points of his own as the duo combined for over 100 points on the night.
Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers is showered with water after recording a franchise-record 70 points against the Spurs Tuesday night. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Wembanyama went 10-of-19 and made 11 of his 12 shots at the charity stripe, while tallying seven rebounds and two assists.
The NBA world showed love to Embiid after his brilliant performance, including former NBA center Pau Gasol.
“Congrats on a career night @JoelEmbiid!! #70piece,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
It’s almost poetry that Gasol said this as his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate, the late Kobe Bryant, dropped 81 points on this same date in 2006.
Embiid has been known to love Bryant’s game, even saying that he fell in love with basketball because of him.
Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrates during the game after setting a new franchise record against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Now, Embiid sits among the Bryants, Chamberlains and other NBA legends who have made it to the elite 70-point club.