Memories Of Embiid's 70 Point Game
The Opening Tip
Hello & Happy Thursday- It's the Corner Three!
GET SOME SURFSIDE
Oh Yeah, The Sixers
To Jo...
Thank you man. For saving me, saving us, pro basketball in Philadelphia, but you did that years ago, now you're literally just showing off. We were always destined to ride this thing out together. I won’t say, do it in the playoffs or any of that other shit. You seem to know more than ever, what the final objective is so why waste my time or yours. I’ll just (try to) chill and enjoy the show. Let’s go get one.
This Week's Top 10 (My Favorite Individual Performances in the League)
10. Kevin Love 31 & 31 Game
09. Shaq 24, 28, and 15 Game
08. AI 40-point game rookie record
07. Russ Westbrook 20, 20, 21 Game
06. Bubble Jimmy Butler
05. Luka 60 point triple-double
04. Jo 70 point game
03. Kobe 81 point game
02. 2016 Finals Lebron
01. 01 Playoffs AI
ROAD TRIP!
Come with us to Los Angeles in March for the most cursed Finals preview of all time, Sixers vs. Clippers. The trip will be sick, it always is. A few hundred Ricky lunatics taking over the west coast. Reserve your spot here.
Content Dump
* AU - The Trade Deadline Doesn't Matter
* The Danny - Why Is Everyone So Mad About Joel Embiid's Free Throws?
* Spike - Joel Embiid Scored 70 Emergency Stream
Mike's Corner
Every week, Spike or Mike will write a column here about something they care about. This week is Mike's turn, and he's writing about 70 points.
70.
70 points is insane. Like how the difference between 100 million dollars and 1 billion dollars is so unfathomably much, Joel got to 40 a few minutes into the 3rd quarter and then all he had to do was score 30 more points. That's so many more points! All in only 37 minutes! What is happening!
He's a god. He's a genius. Against Wembanyama (who was absolutely dazzling even in locker-stuffing defeat). In front of Brett. On Kobe's 81-points anniversary. He's perfect. He's ours. We're his.
And it was a quiet 70! Not as far as the crowd goes, the crowd was crazy into it from the opening tip, and holding their breath every time Goliath & Stretched-Out Goliath guarded each other. But this didn't feel to me, watching on DVR later that night, gimmicky in any way. Embiid took the shots he always takes -- face ups, rip-throughs, physical seals inside, more Moses-y/Jokic-y putbacks than I can remember, the occasional delicate deceleration as his defender flies into the stanchion like he got Irish-whipped into the turnbuckle, and of course his daily fuckton of free throws. Did the crowd bully Danuel House out of bogarting any more of Embiid's touches? Of course, bullying works. Did Jo force a few shots? Sure, but you tell the guy having the most efficient high-volume scoring season of all time he can't check the heat. And unlike the other tall gentleman who scored 60+ that evening, Joel didn't "disrespect the game" according to his head coach, and he certainly didn't "lose to the shitass Hornets" according to everyone in attendance.
We're 8 seasons into Joel Embiid's playing career and two months away from his 30th birthday. Reigning MVP and the frontrunner to win it again (though I firmly do not care). Two runner-up finishes the years before that. On pace for his 3rd straight scoring title. Career highs in points and assists and free throw attempts & percentage. Career highs in PER, BPM, WS/48, and usage rate. 7th in Sixers history in points. 2nd in defensive rebounds. 5th in blocks. 6th in threes somehow. 5th in total VORP behind Julius, Charles, Allen, and Mo.
And now the Sixers record-holder for most points in a game, outscoring Wilt motherfucking Chamberlain.
After missing his first two years, engendering a moral tanking panic, getting fat off Shirley Temples, having players who play the same position drafted in the years before & after him, spiting his GM and the league office by nicknaming himself one of their deepest shames, trolling half the centers for their plus-minus being ass, encouraging full arenas to Suck It, uglycrying in a Toronto tunnel, playing with several franchise cornerstones who weren't willing to shoot or forgot how, participating in Retweet Armageddon, becoming a father and naming his son after the brother he lost during those redshirt seasons, withstanding many uncomfortable trade requests and one repeatedly very funny one, and coming up short again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, Joel Embiid is well on his way to becoming the best Sixer of all time.
I love him. Do it in the playoffs or I will die.
Peace, Love and Process
Check on your friends, Go Lions
-Zo