NBA MVP Joel Embiid hits 51 to power Philadelphia 76ers over Minnesota Timberwolves

WASHINGTON – Joel Embiid scored a season-high 51 points and grabbed 12 rebounds on Dec 20 to accomplish feats unseen for more than a half-century as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-113.

The reigning National Basketball Association (NBA) Most Valuable Player sparked the Sixers (19-8) to their seventh victory in eight games and snapped the three-game winning streak of the Western Conference-leading Timberwolves, who slipped to 20-6.

Embiid became the first NBA player with 12 consecutive games of 30 or more points and 10 or more rebounds since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972.

He also became the first 76er since Wilt Chamberlain in 1967 with three consecutive games of 40 or more points and 10 or more rebounds.

“We’re winning and that’s all that matters,” said the 29-year-old. “Stats are great and it’s great to put up stats. But if it comes with a loss, then that’s a different story. If it comes with a win, it means a lot.”

“He does it every night so consistently,” 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey said of Embiid. “We expect it of him and he goes out there and performs every single night.”

Embiid, the NBA’s top scorer at 35.1 points per game, said the triumph avenged a loss at Minnesota in November when he was unable to play due to a hip injury.

“That’s one of the best teams in the league and the best in the West,” Embiid said. “We felt like we had to get them back and I’m glad everybody just showed up.

“To start the third quarter, we had some rough patches, but we stuck together and we kept pushing and we got the win.”

The 2.13m Cameroonian lifted the Sixers to their biggest lead in the final minutes.

Embiid scored 20 points in the first half, 19 more in the third quarter and completed the seventh 50-point performance of his career – and second of the season – on a jumper with 1min 46sec remaining.

He made 17 of 25 shots from the floor and 17 of 18 free throws while adding three assists, two steals and a blocked shot in humbling the NBA’s top defensive team and their big men, Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Said Sixers coach Nick Nurse: “He’s continuing to get better and he’s just doing enough different things rhythmically to keep those guys guessing. He has a feel that if guys step into him, he can get them.”

Maxey added 35 points for the 76ers, forming a deadly duo with Embiid and taking up the scoring slack when the latter was resting.

“All-Star starter,” Embiid said of Maxey. “He has been doing that all season. Just give him the ball and he has been carrying us every single fourth quarter. You see what happens when he’s impressive.”

“He believes in me,” Maxey said. “I go out there and try to put in the work and help him as much as I possibly can.”

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 27 points, while Towns had 23 points and 13 rebounds.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said: “We didn’t play a clean or pretty game. I thought we would find a run or a rhythm. Thirty-seven points (for Philadelphia) in the fourth quarter is way too much – we needed it to be under 30 for sure.”

The Boston Celtics took over the NBA’s best record, improving to 21-6 with a 144-119 victory at Sacramento to snap the Kings’ three-game winning streak.

The Celtics, without top scorer and rebounder Jayson Tatum due to a left ankle sprain, were led by 28 points each by Jaylen Brown and Derrick White while De’Aaron Fox led Sacramento with 29.

Meanwhile, two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic scored 31 points and added 15 rebounds and six assists as reigning champions the Denver Nuggets beat the Toronto Raptors 113-104. AFP