Embiid Drops 50 After Two-Game Hiatus

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The Philadelphia 76ers took care of business in a surprisingly close 131-126 victory over the Washington Wizards. The league’s reigning MVP, Joel Embiid, had a monster game with a season-high 50 points to boost the team to victory. After picking up the road win, Philadelphia is now 13-7 so far this season which currently places them as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and second in the Atlantic Division, just behind the Boston Celtics. On the other hand, the Wizards are just 3-17, the second-worst record in the league thus far.

A Look Into the Game

After a long break since their last game against the Celtics last Friday, the 76ers had several key players return to the lineup with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and even Kelly Oubre making returns tonight against Washington. The Wizards were persistent throughout the whole game putting pressure on the Philadelphia defense. However, Washington had no answer for Embiid and company on the defensive side. One area the Sixers struggled greatly was their three-point shooting.

The team started the game out a mere 12% in the first half and slowly worked their way up to 29.6% by the final buzzer. Philadelphia also failed to get back defensively on transition; this led to Washington outscoring the Sixers in points off turnovers (14-7) and fast break points (23-10). Despite these obvious disadvantages, Philadelphia made a living at the free-throw line shooting 29 for 34 (85.3%). Down the stretch, crucial free throws, and a couple of threes from Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre helped the squad overcome the adversity.

Joel Embiid’s Dominance

Embiid finished the game with 50 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists. He finished shooting 19 for 29 (65.5%) from the field, 1 for 2 (50%) from three, and 11 for 13 (84.6%) from the charity stripe. The reigning MVP posted his season-high in points with 50 which is his fourth-highest total in his career and the third time he has gotten 50. He also cemented his name in the 76ers greats as he became the first player in franchise history to have six consecutive games with at least 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Thoughts Going Forward

After a tight win behind Embiid’s monster game, the 76ers will next host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, December 8th. Nick Nurse’s team will look to improve their three-point shooting woes along with the recent defensive struggles in the upcoming game. De’Anthony Melton, Tyrese Maxey, and Kelly Oubre had 19, 26, and 12 points, respectively, and these players along with others should continue to do their job in easing the work for Embiid.

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