Embiid's career-best 59 points carry 76ers to win

PHILADELPHIA -- After 76ers superstar Joel Embiid scored 42 points to pb them to a triumph Saturday nighttime astatine Wells Fargo Center implicit the Atlanta Hawks, Embiid declared helium was simply doing "whatever it takes" to pb his squad to victories.

Little did anyone recognize what Embiid had successful store for an encore 24 hours aboriginal against the Utah Jazz.

Embiid had the show of his vocation Sunday night, finishing with 59 points -- a vocation precocious -- to spell on with 11 rebounds, 8 assists and 7 blocks successful 36 minutes to springiness the 76ers a 105-98 triumph implicit the Jazz. Embiid virtually carried Philadelphia to the triumph by scoring 26 of the team's 27 points successful the 4th quarter, on with registering 5 of his 7 blocked shots successful the last period.

"This is not astir me," Embiid said afterward. "We did it arsenic a team. Obviously, the coaches enactment maine successful those positions and my teammates fed maine the ball.

"I thought we had large spacing astir everything we were doing. ... Like I said, each the recognition goes to my teammates."

While that was alternatively magnanimous of Embiid, helium besides was the lone 1 saying it.

Coach Doc Rivers -- who has played oregon coached successful adjacent to 3,000 regular-season and playoff games -- declared, "I've ne'er seen a much dominating performance, erstwhile you harvester discourtesy and defense."

Among the records Embiid set, according to ESPN Stats & Information research:

• He became the archetypal subordinate with astatine slightest 50 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks successful a crippled since blocks became an authoritative stat successful 1973-74.

• He became the archetypal subordinate to registry astatine slightest 20 points and 5 blocks successful a azygous 4th successful the past 25 seasons.

• He became the archetypal subordinate to outscore some teams by himself successful a 4th fourth (26-21) since Tracy McGrady successful 2006.

• He became the 4th subordinate -- on with Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Bradley Beal -- to people astatine slightest 100 points crossed a back-to-back since the NBA-ABA merger, and the archetypal halfway to bash truthful since Wilt Chamberlain successful 1967.

And, possibly astir remarkably, Philadelphia needed each ounce of Embiid's show Sunday nighttime to propulsion retired a 2nd triumph successful arsenic galore nights.

With James Harden inactive watching successful thoroughfare apparel from the seat arsenic helium deals with a ft strain that is expected to unit him to miss a month, the 76ers turned to Embiid to transportation them location astatine some ends down the stretch.

And, successful a mode virtually nary different subordinate connected the satellite could, Embiid did conscionable that. He carved his mode done Utah's defence repeatedly, drafting 1 foul aft different sandwiched astir hitting a bid of buckets.

The lone changeable helium missed of the quarter? A 3-pointer precocious that would person fixed him 60 points connected the night, a hard turnaround triple effort that Embiid admitted with a grin afterward was a vigor check.

To accidental helium had earned that, however, would beryllium an understatement. In that 4th quarter, Embiid went 7-for-8 from the field. His teammates missed each 9 shots they took.

"It's funny," Tyrese Maxey said. "I was like, astatine 1 point, Coach was trying to tally a play, similar a pick-and-roll play, and I was like, 'Let's get the shot to Joel.' And helium was like, 'I agree.' Because he's truly bully close now."

Meanwhile, astatine the different end, Embiid not lone blocked respective shots, but helium deterred respective more, arsenic Utah's free-flowing, question discourtesy -- 1 that tries to get tons of 3-pointers and shots astatine the rim -- crushed to a halt erstwhile trying to people astir him.

"What's much awesome is the defense," P.J. Tucker said. "Being determination protecting the rim, being there, debased man, consistently each night. To me, that was bigger than each the points helium scored, conscionable the things helium did connected defense. He communicated amended today, and I deliberation that worldly takes a small spot much adjacent connected discourtesy due to the fact that he's truthful successful tune with the game."

Embiid adjacent managed to psych retired Lauri Markkanen precocious successful the 4th quarter. Markkanen -- who had 15 points and 10 rebounds arsenic portion of a breakout play upon being dealt to the Jazz arsenic portion of the Donovan Mitchell commercialized successful September -- missed a brace of escaped throws aft Embiid had a fewer words for him.

What were they?

"I told him ... I benignant of lied, due to the fact that Arthur [Embiid's son] is already sleeping, truthful I told him I had to enactment Arthur to bed," Embiid said with a smile. "So, you'd amended miss those escaped throws. We don't request to spell to overtime.

"I did lie, due to the fact that Arthur, helium goes to furniture ... each azygous day, 7:30, helium has to beryllium successful bed. But I conscionable told him I had to enactment Arthur to slumber and marque definite we didn't spell to overtime."

Like everything other Embiid did successful the 4th quarter, it worked.

The 2 victories allowed Philadelphia to get backmost to .500, and concluded a 3-1 week with Embiid backmost connected the tribunal aft helium missed 3 games pursuing a bout with a non-COVID-19 illness. Those 3 wins came against the Phoenix Suns, Hawks and Jazz, teams with a combined grounds of 26-13.

"He was making shots implicit 3 people, blocking each shot," Maxey said. "That's big, to triumph 2 games successful a enactment similar that."

While the week didn't wholly erase Philadelphia's dilatory start, it was a motion that things are starting to realign themselves successful the City of Brotherly Love -- successful ample portion due to the fact that Embiid, aft dealing with a bout of plantar fasciitis successful the offseason and past missing clip with the illness, is starting to circular into the signifier that has made him a runner-up for the past 2 Most Valuable Player awards.

"The champion mode for maine to get backmost to wherever I was earlier I got sick was to beryllium connected the floor, and conscionable play," Embiid said. "That's truly the lone way. All the bikes and treadmills, that doesn't enactment for me. So, for me, the lone mode for maine to get wherever I privation to beryllium is playing successful practices and games."

He and the 76ers volition present get the adjacent 4 days disconnected earlier hosting Giannis Antetokounmpo and the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks connected Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). And, aft Rivers gave the squad Monday off, they'll spell into that interruption successful a buoyant temper acknowledgment to Embiid putting his squad connected his wide shoulders and carrying them home.

"As a team," Embiid said, "we're starting to find our way."