After scoring 42 points to lead the 76ers to a win over the Atlanta Hawks at Wells Fargo Center, he declared he was just doing whatever it took to lead his team to victories.
It wasn't until after the Utah Jazz game that anyone realized what was in store for the next day.
The 76ers' 105-98 victory over the Jazz on Sunday night was the result of a career-high 59 points and a career-high 11 rebound, 8 assist and 7 block performance by the young center. In the fourth quarter, he scored 26 of the team's 27 points and registered five of his seven blocks.
This is not about me, he said. As a team, we did it. My teammates fed me the ball when I was in those positions.
We had a good amount of space around everything we were doing. All the credit goes to my team.
He was the only one who said it.
"I've never seen a more dominating performance, when you combine offense and defense," said Doc Rivers, who has played or coached in close to 3000 regular-season and playoff games.
Among the records that were set by the player.
He became the first player with at least 50 points, 10 rebound, 5 assists and 5 blocks in a game since blocks became an official stat in 1973.
He was the first player in 25 years to register at least 20 points and five blocks in a quarter.
He was the first player to outscore both teams by himself in the fourth quarter.
He was the first center to score at least 100 points in back-to-back games since 1967.
Philadelphia needed every ounce of Embiid's performance to pull out a second victory in a row.
With James Harden still watching from the bench as he deals with a foot strain that is expected to keep him out for a month, the 76ers turned to Embiid to carry them home.
Virtually no other player on the planet could have done that. He carved his way through Utah's defense by drawing multiple fouls and hitting a series of buckets.
He didn't miss a shot in the quarter. A 3-pointer late in the game that would have given him 60 points was a difficult triple try that he admitted was a heat check.
He had earned that. He went 7-for-8 from the field in the fourth quarter. His teammates missed all but one shot.
It's funny, said Tyrese Maxey. At one point, Coach was trying to run a play, like a pick-and-roll play, and I was like, "Let's get the ball toJoel." He said "I agree." He is good right now.
Utah's free-flowing, motion offense -- one that tries to get lots of 3-pointers and shots at the rim -- ground to a halt when trying to score around him.
P.J. Tucker thinks the defense is more impressive. Being low man and protecting the rim all night long. I think that was more important than the points he scored and the things he did on defense. He communicated better today, and I think that's because he's so knowledgeable about the game.
Late in the fourth quarter, he tried to get Markkanen to change his mind. Markkanen missed a pair of free throws after getting a few words for him.
They were what?
I let him know. I told Arthur that I had to put him to bed because he was already sleeping. You need to miss those free throws. We don't have to go to OT.
Arthur has to be in bed every day. I told him I had to put Arthur to sleep so we wouldn't go to overtime.
It worked like everything else that he did in the fourth quarter.
The two victories allowed Philadelphia to get back to.500, and concluded a 3-1 week with Embiid back on the court after missing three games due to an illness. The Phoenix Suns, Hawks and Jazz are teams with a combined record of 26-13
Maxey said that he was blocking every shot. It's important to win two games in a row.
While the week didn't completely erase Philadelphia's slow start, it was a sign that things are starting to realign themselves in the City of Brotherly Love, in large part because Embiid, after dealing with a bout of plantar fasciitis in the summer and missing time with the illness, is
It was the best way for me to get back to where I was before I got sick. The only way is that. That doesn't work for me. Practices and games are the only way for me to get where I want to be.
He and the 76ers will have four days off before they play the Milwaukee Bucks. After Rivers gave the team Monday off, they'll go into that break in a happy mood because of the way Embiid carried them home.
We're starting to find our way as a team.
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