PHILADELPHIA – Joel Embiid was mad at himself because he wanted to score more points on Jan 22.
It came after the Cameroonian centre became only the ninth player in National Basketball Association (NBA) history to score 70 points or more in a single game in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 133-123 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
A sensational individual performance from the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player led the way to victory for the Sixers and upstaged an impressive 33-point showing from Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama.
Embiid finished with 70 points, 18 rebounds and five assists.
His franchise-record effort – beating Wilt Chamberlain’s 68 points in 1967 – vaulted him into an elite band of NBA stars who have posted 70 or more points in a single game, joining Chamberlain, David Robinson, David Thompson, Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker and Damian Lillard.
“It feels good,” Embiid said after the win, paying tribute to his “extremely unselfish” teammates.
“I was hot and they just gave me the ball and made sure they put me in the best positions.
“Credit to the coaching staff too – I’m just surrounded by amazing people.”
However, it was clear that he wanted more – Chamberlain was playing for the Philadelphia Warriors when he set the NBA record with 100 points.
“I was actually mad at myself because I missed a lot of easy shots that I’ve been making all season,” Embiid added.
“Obviously, Wilt accomplished a lot of things. To be in the same conversation is pretty cool.
“It was just a great night. Had it going. They just kept giving me the ball and I just finished it.”
Tyrese Maxey added 18 points for the Sixers while Tobias Harris finished with 14 – the only other Philadelphia players to crack double figures.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse said Embiid’s combination of size and skill made him nearly unplayable.
“He can score in so many ways. His sheer size gets him a lot of stuff around the basket and a lot of free throws. And his shooting touch is the skill that makes it extra hard to stop him.
“When he gets motivated like that, anything can happen,” he said.
Wembanyama, the No. 1 draft pick from France, produced one of his best performances of the season in a losing effort for San Antonio (8-35), who remain at the bottom of the Western Conference.
Embiid lavished praise on the Frenchman, but would not say if facing the highly rated rookie had given him additional motivation.
“The big fella, he’s amazing, he’s great. In my opinion he’s already up there as one of the best players in the league. Obviously a bright future,” Embiid said of the 2.24m Wembanyama.
Asked whether Wembanyama’s presence had fuelled his 70-point display, he added: “It doesn’t matter who’s in the building.
“That’s my mindset – attack, dominate, offensively and defensively. Tonight was no different.”
Embiid’s masterly performance propelled Philadelphia (29-13) to a sixth straight victory, keeping them third in the Eastern Conference behind Boston (34-10) and Milwaukee (30-13).
San Antonio’s revered coach Gregg Popovich, meanwhile, saluted Embiid’s virtuoso outing.
“He’s a fantastic player,” said the 74-year-old. “He’s wonderful – he’s playing such an all-round game.”
Embiid’s score was not the only eye-catching individual performance around the league on Jan 22.
In Charlotte, Minnesota Timberwolves stalwart Karl-Anthony Towns erupted for 62 points in his team’s 128-125 loss to the Hornets.
Towns’ performance included 10 three-pointers, but it was not enough to prevent Charlotte from snatching a notable win against the Western Conference leaders.
Miles Bridges led the Charlotte scoring with 28 points, followed by Brandon Miller with 27.
In Detroit, Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 31 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists as the Milwaukee Bucks notched a 122-113 victory over the Pistons.
In Dallas, 39 points from Jayson Tatum and a 34-point haul from Jaylen Brown earned the Boston Celtics a 119-110 win over Luka Doncic and the Mavericks.
Doncic finished with 33 points while Kyrie Irving added 23. AFP
