Joel Embiid Set A Sixers Record With 70 Points Against The Spurs

Joel Embiid put together a night for the ages on Monday against the San Antonio Spurs. The reigning MVP exploded for the best performance of his career and made history in the process, finishing with 70 points on 24-for-41 shooting and 21-for-23 from the free throw line to go along with 18 rebounds. That set a new Philadelphia 76ers franchise record for scoring, and Embiid joined the highly exclusive club of players to reach the 70-point mark. Beyond that, he also became first player in league history to finish a game with at least 70 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists, all while leading the Sixers to a 133-123 victory in Philly.

From the outset, it felt like a special night could be in the offing. Embiid set a personal best with 24 points in the opening quarter, converting eight of his 12 shots from the field and parading to the free throw line against a helpless Spurs defense. By halftime, he had 34 points and 10 rebounds, at least maintaining the pace to set what would eventually become the franchise scoring record.

Perhaps the most important part of the journey toward 70 was a 25-point third quarter in which Embiid carved up San Antonio’s resistance early and often. By the five-minute mark of the third quarter, he had 50 points, and Embiid finished the period with 59 points and 15 rebounds.

If anything, there was a bit of intrigue as to whether Embiid would return to the game, as the 76ers held a comfortable lead when he went to the bench for his typical early fourth quarter rest. However, the Spurs did just enough to hang around, prompting Embiid to return and proceed toward history. With 4:51 to go, he reached the 65-point mark and set a new high in scoring from any player during the 2023-24 season.

Finally, Embiid clawed his way to 70 in crunch time, scoring with 1:41 to go to put the 76ers up by 15 points.

Just 19 seconds later, Embiid was headed to the bench just one point short of the most points scored since Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game in 2006. Fittingly, Bryant’s performance took place 18 years ago to the day, and Embiid earned quite the reception from the Philadelphia faithful.

All told, it was a staggeringly impressive performance from Embiid, and he continues to enjoy a dominant season. Entering the night, Embiid was already scoring more than a point per minute, and that gap widened when he put up 70 in only 37 minutes of action. At no point did the Spurs have a single answer for the star center, and this was perhaps the best example of Embiid’s penchant for dominance.