Joel Embiid doesn’t let injury slow him down as he scores 31 in 76ers win
Embiid’s unbelievable 30-point streak continues with a victory over the Raptors. (2:03)
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ESPN News Services
Dec 22, 2023, 11:20 PM ET
PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid powered through an ankle injury to keep his 30-10 streak alive, dropping 31 points and 10 rebounds in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 121-111 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
Embiid scored all 31 points after an awkward landing in the first quarter, proving that no injury can hold him back.
His 30-10 streak is now at 13 games, the longest in the NBA since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 16-game run in 1971-72. He’s also achieved the incredible feat of scoring 30 points or more in 14 consecutive games, the most since James Harden’s 32-game run in 2018-19.
Embiid’s dominance doesn’t end there – he’s putting up some historic numbers this season:
• He’s the first player in NBA history to record 850 points, 250 rebounds, and 150 assists in the first 25 games of a season.
• He’s matching legends like Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain with his scoring records.
• He joins the elite company of Chamberlain, Harden, and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the fourth player to average 1 point per minute over at least 25 games in the shot-clock era.
Embiid had an early scare with his ankle but came back strong in the second half, finishing with 9 assists and 4 blocks in addition to his 31 points.
It’s clear that nothing is holding back Embiid this season, not even an ankle injury.
“I saw that I wasn’t being aggressive,” Embiid said. “But then I let the game come to me. I didn’t force shots and in the third quarter I was able to get a few shots to go.”
After the game, Embiid was tight-lipped about his ankle. Coach Nick Nurse confirmed it was an ankle injury but didn’t offer much more insight.
Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey also had standout performances, each scoring 33 points, making it the second time in franchise history that three players have scored 30-plus points in a game.
