Reigning NBA most valuable player (MVP) Joel Embiid dropped a season-high 50 points at the Capital One Arena in Washington as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Wizards 131-126.
The 29-year-old, who shot 19-of-29 from the field and 11/13 from the free throw line, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished out seven assists as he tallied 50 or more points for the sixth time in his career.
https://t.co/cgIoYZAz6C pic.twitter.com/XWuHWL0bnZ
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 7, 2023
Embiid, who was the league’s scoring champion last season, continues to impress as he leads the league in scoring with 33.1 points per game. The Cameroon-born star is currently averaging 11.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists while shooting 51.1% FG and 32.1% on 3s.
“Sometimes your team needs you to be a playmaker, sometimes they need you to score and I felt like it was one of those nights where I had to be aggressive and get it going,” Embiid said. “But they made passes, they made the right plays every single time and I just finished them.”
Tyrese Maxey poured in 26 points and seven assists, while Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with12 points in 19 minutes for his first piece of action since he missed 11 games due to a hit-and-run accident he suffered back in November.
De’Anthony Melton added 19 points, 5 rebounds, and four assists for the Sixers as they improved to 13-7 for the season and put an end to their two-game losing streak.
“He’s our safety valve – offensively, defensively. That’s why he’s the MVP,” Melton said. “He covers up for a lot of our mistakes defensively and then offensively he can bail us out late and make some shots.”
back in the W column. ????@cryptocom pic.twitter.com/8MWEx3xF4Z
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 7, 2023
Jordan Poole led the Wizards with 23 points along with three 3s;former Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones added 20 points and eight assists.
Daniel Gafford poured in 18 points, 6 assists, and two blocks; Kyle Kuzma added 16 points and 7 assists; and Corey Kispert supplied Washington with 16 points and four 3s as they fell to 3-17 in the regular season.
Philadelphia will host the Atlanta Hawks next Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center, while the Wizards will visit the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to face the Nets.
