The 2023-24 season wasn’t Joel Embiid’s greatest season in his career. The big man from Cameroon sustained a grave knee injury on the court and missed almost half of the season with surgery. On top of that, the Philadelphia 76ers got kicked out in the first round of postseason. Despite the long list of adversities, the former MVP had one of his biggest career achievements in the same season. And, that is the historical 70-point outing against the San Antonio Spurs.

It’s not that often we witness a high-scoring game from the superstar. But with Embiid on the scene, anything is possible at any time. Importantly, it’s a sign of a paradigm shift in the league. Speaking of it, Victor Wembanyama, who witnessed the game from close quarters, said, “A few years back, it was more of a guard’s game. “But now, it’s come back to a big man’s game. I think it makes sense in terms of the game… It’s the way the game changes. Now, we got to adapt.”

Joel Embiid became the ninth player in NBA history to score 70 points or more. Of course, we know Wilt Chamberlain still holds the record for most points (100 pts) during his stint with the Philadelphia Warriors. Ironically, The Process has broken Chamberlain’s record in this outing. Earlier, Wilt the Stilt had set the franchise record for the 76ers with 68 points in 1967. While it remained unbeaten for 6 decades, Embiid broke it with a dominant performance.

Joel Embiid and his Hoop Dreams: a closer look at the game

It was just another regular-season game on January 23rd, 2024. The Wemby-led Spurs barely made any impact on the season with an embarrassing 8-35 record. On the other hand, the Sixers dominated the East with a commanding 29-13 record. Even though the Sixers entered the game as the favorites, fans looked forward to a clash between two 7-foot giants. And, it’s safe to say that fans weren’t disappointed.

Right after the tip-off, everyone in the arena knew that they were in for a treat. Both sides tussled their way up in the first quarter and the Spurs came out in flying colors, winning the first quarter with a one-point (35-34) lead. However, little did they know that they woke up a sleeping giant. Out of the 34 points, Joel Embiid scored 24 points. Following that, the big man had no holding back as he went haywire in the following quarters.

It wasn’t until the initial few minutes of the third quarter that the Sixers bench realized the direction that Embiid headed toward. Speaking of it, HC Nick Nurse said, “I think he had a bucket and an and-1, like in the first minute. I was like, ‘Wait a minute, he’s already got like 37, 38, something like that.’ I was like, ‘Geez, that’s a lot, with a whole half to go.” 

At the same time, the big man didn’t want his teammates to get carried away as he said, “The only thing I told my teammates was please just don’t force it… Let’s just play basketball. If I’m open, pass it.” However, the fans at the arena weren’t feeling it, as they even booed at the Sixers reserve forward Danuel House Jr., for attempting a 3-pointer from the open.

The Final quarter drama

Up until the third quarter, Embiid had scored 59 points. And the star didn’t clock back in until the 6th-minute mark in the fourth quarter. The Sixers already had a 14-point lead and teammates generously passed the ball to the big man as he was chasing history. On a few occasions, the star even ran coast-to-coast and dropped layups to collect two points.

Around the 2-minute mark, he dropped two free throws and leveled Wilt Chamberlain’s 68-point record and immediately dropped a layup to break the record. And subbed out immediately with a stunning stat line of 70 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and a block. Importantly, he held a mind-numbing 24-41 FG and 21-23 from the free throw line. Truly a one-man show!

Uncrowned star: Victor Wembanyama

Even though Joel Embiid took the game away on one side, Victor Wembanyama held his nerve on the other end. He finished the game with 33 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks. The rookie’s fighting effort gave the Spurs a decent 123-133 loss. Speaking after the game, the youngster said, “It would have been more fun in a win, of course, but it’s inspiring, especially offensively.” 

The Spurs have one-year experienced generational talent in the upcoming season along with a seasoned point guard, Chris Paul, by his side. So, the NBA world could also see a similar performance in Wemby in the 2024-25 season. And maybe even break the Spurs franchise record.

On the other hand, Joel Embiid has a superstar teammate, Paul George, by his side. It will eventually reduce the burden on his shoulders. We may not see high-scoring games but may witness the Sixers going deep in the postseason.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.