Joel Embiid's rise to the top of the NBA has been nothing short of remarkable. With a combination of size, athleticism, and skill, he has become one of the league's most dominant forces on both ends of the court. And after a season in which he put up incredible numbers, he has now been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player.
EMBIID SCORES 50 IN THREE QUARTERS: 1/19/22
At this point, Joel Embiid is in a class by himself. No matter where he was on the floor against the Orlando Magic, the Philadelphia 76ers center scored. He scored from down low, he scored from mid-range, he scored from the foul line and even mixed in a step-back 3-pointer over a helpless Robin Lopez. Embiid shot 17 of 23 from the field and 15 of 17 from the stripe en route to 50 points despite only playing the first three quarters. The big man also mixed in 12 rebounds and three blocks as his squad secured a 123-110 victory on January 19, 2022.
PLAYOFF OVERTIME TREY SINKS RAPTORS: 4/20/22
Looking to take a 3-0 stranglehold on a First Round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors, Joel Embiid called game. With Game 3 tied at 101 in overtime, the Philadelphia 76ers’ All-Star center had zero interest in another extra session as he grabbed Danny Green’s inbounds pass and in one motion launched a game-winning 3-pointer from the wing. Embiid’s 33 points, 13 rebounds and three triples — none bigger than that final one — helped his squad secure an exhilarating 104-101 win on April 20, 2022.
EMBIID 3: 2/12/22
That’s certainly one way to atone for a missed free throw. Joel Embiid didn’t miss much against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and when he did he made up for it with fireworks. When Georges Niang snared his teammate’s misfire, he dumped it off to Embiid who was barreling into the lane at full speed. The All-Star center took flight and landed an earth-shaking throwdown over Jarrett Allen for two of his game-high 40 points, while also mixing in 14 rebounds and 10 assists to complete the triple-double in a 103-93 Philly triumph on February 12, 2022.
JOEL VS. THE JOKER: 1/28/23
Prior to winning the 2023 MVP award, Joel Embiid had consecutive second-place finishes behind Nikola Jokić. When the Denver Nuggets came to town in 2023, Embiid was far from a runner-up on that day. Embiid pulled no punches as he picked Denver apart on mid-range pull-ups, second-chance putbacks, dunks on strong drives to the rim and step-back jumpers over the Joker from inside and out. Embiid hit 40 points for the ninth time in 2022-23 and 35th in his career, finishing with 47 points, 18 rebounds, five assists, three steals, two blocks and five 3-pointers as the 76ers claimed a 126-119 victory on January 28, 2023.
EMBIID NOTCHES FIRST 50-10-5-5 GAME: 11/13/22
Joel Embiid is a one-man wrecking crew. The Philadelphia 76ers center did it all to sink the Utah Jazz, showing off enviable handles and footwork on drives that ended in layups while also connecting on a slew of difficult fadeaways. The six-time All-Star and eventual 2023 MVP also played game-changing defense and unselfishly facilitated for his teammates when double teamed. Embiid exploded for a career-best 59 points to go with 11 rebounds, eight assists and seven blocks — the first 50-10-5-5 game in NBA history. The 59 points were fifth-most in franchise history, and Embiid scored 26 of Philly’s 27 fourth quarter points in the 105-98 triumph on November 13, 2022.
