Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid has made NBA headlines on and off the court recently. Over the last week he has been citicized by Stephen A. Smith of ESPN for being “gimpy,” and Charles Barkley of TNT for having his “head down.” Then after the 76ers lost two games in New York to start the Eastern Conference first round series, Embiid revealed that he was recently diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy. The facial paralysis came after Embiid dealt with a knee injury this season.
What we saw Thursday night in Philadelphia was pure greatness. Embiid put his troubles and criticisms behind him and did his talking on the basketball court. As a result, he put together a magical performance in scoring 50 points in a 125-114 Philadelphia win over the New York Knicks. With the victory, the 76ers won their first game of the first round series, but still trail the Knicks two games to one.
It should be noted that this was the ninth time that Embiid has reached 50 points in a game, but the first time he has accomplished the feat in the postseason. He previously had 70 points in a 133-123 Philadelphia win over the Houston Rockets on January 22, 2024, 59 points in a 105-98 76ers win over the Utah Jazz on November 13, 2022, 53 points in a 131-113 76ers win over the Charlotte Hornets on December 11, 2022, 52 points in a 103-101 76ers win over the Boston Celtics on April 4, 2023, 51 points in a 127-113 76ers win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 20, 2023, 50 points in a 112-105 76ers win over the Chicago Bulls on February 19, 2021, 50 points in a 123-110 76ers win over the Orlando Magic on January 19, 2022, and 50 points in a 131-126 76ers win over the Washington Wizards on December 6, 2023.
On Thursday, Embiid made 13 of 19 field goals, five of seven three-point shots, and 19 of 21 free throws. He had eight rebounds, four assists and one blocked shot.
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