Joel Embiid wasn’t done putting on a show in L.A. when he dropped 32 points and 16 rebounds against the LA Clippers on Monday.
The 23-year-old center returned to Staples Center two days later with a dominant performance that fueled Philadelphia past the Lakers, 115-109. He finished with a sparkling line of 46 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and seven blocks and was the team’s focal point down the stretch of an entertaining matchup. He scored 19 points in the fourth quarter (6-for-7 from the field) .
There were Manu Ginobili-like Euro-steps, James Harden-esque shimmies after baskets, Hakeem Olajuwon-level Dream shakes and “Trust the Process” chants from Philly native Kevin Hart throughout the night.
.@JoelEmbiid with @NBCSPhilly's @MollySullivanTV after tonight's huge performance and win, with cameos from @KevinHart4real & @BenSimmons25. pic.twitter.com/641LdRKWTb
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 16, 2017
He was efficient with 14-for-20 shooting (70 percent) in 34 minutes, combating double teams and overwhelming every Lakers defender coach Luke Walton tried to put on him.
The 7-foot rising star became the first Sixer to score 46 points in a game since Allen Iverson in 2006. He also joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players to have at least 40 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and seven blocks in a game since 1973-74 (when blocks became an official stat).
“I was just being aggressive and playing basketball like I was against the Clippers,” Embiid told reporters after the game. “I got going and I just wanted to stay aggressive. That’s my new mentality. I can’t wait to keep the same momentum. I love L.A. and I love the Staples Center. I wanted to come out here and put on a show and I did.”
While LeBron James claims to be the king of New York, Embiid, for this week at least, looked like the leader of L.A.
