Joel Embiid (29-Cameroon) of the Philadelphia 76ers, the reigning National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season MVP, is on a roll. He’s been flying lately, scoring 30 or more points in seven straight games.
Embiid played in the 2023-2024 NBA regular-season home game on Monday (Sept. 9) at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. In 35 minutes and 53 seconds on the court, he scored 38 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out three assists, and blocked four shots. He shot 24 free throws, making exactly half of them, and added a three-pointer. His performance on offense helped lead Philadelphia to a 125-114 victory.
He has scored 30 or more points in seven straight games. It started with a 32-point outburst against Atlanta on Nov. 18. He also scored 32 points against the Brooklyn Nets on November 20 and the Cleveland Cavaliers on November 22. He followed that up with 30+ points against the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 26 (35 points), the Los Angeles Lakers on November 28 (30 points), the Washington Wizards on November 6 (50 points), and again against Atlanta on November 9 (38 points). His incredible scoring output helped fuel Philadelphia’s 6-1 run during that stretch.
He’s averaging 33.3 points per game this season. He led the league in scoring, far outpacing the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic (31.9 points) and the Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant (31.0 points). He appeared in 18 games, averaging 34.8 minutes per game. He shot 51% from the field and made 1.1 3-pointers per game. He shot 87.5% from the free throw line and averaged 11.5 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.9 blocked shots per game.
Born in 1994 in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Embiid holds Cameroonian, French, and American citizenship. The 6-foot-2, 213-pounder also played volleyball and soccer in his youth. He was drafted by Philadelphia in the first round, third overall, in 2014. He led the team in scoring in 2021-2022, averaging 30.6 points per game, and won the league MVP award last season with 33.1 points per game. His ability to play both center and forward has made him one of the best players in the NBA.
Behind Embiid’s breakout season, Philadelphia went 14-7 and finished fourth in the Eastern Conference. They are two games behind the first-place Boston Celtics (16-5) in the standings. Embiid is already considered a strong MVP candidate this season.