Joel Embiid scored 50 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks in the Sixers’ 112-105 victory over the Bulls Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
Crazy.
How crazy?
Here are ten stats from Joel Embiid:
1. Embiid became the first Sixer with a 50-point game in more than 15 years. The last to do so was Allen Iverson, who scored 53 points against the Hawks in a 111-108 defeat in Atlanta on December 23, 2005. Embiid is the first Sixers with 50 points and 15 rebounds in a game since Moses Malone had 51. and 17 on November 14, 1984 in a 137-133 loss to the Pistons at the Spectrum.
2. Embiid became the 13th player in NBA history with 50 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists in a game. Only four players have done it more than once: Wilt Chamberlain (23 times), Elgin Baylor (7), Kareem Abdul-Jbbar (2) and Bob McAdoo (2). Embiid is only the sixth player in the last 45 years to do so, joining Michael Jordan, Chris Webber, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Four of Chamberlain’s 23 50-15-5 games were with the Sixers, most recently on March 18, 1968 against the Lakers (53, 32, 14). The last NBA player with 50 points, 17 rebounds and 5 assists in a game was McAdoo for the Buffalo Braves vs. the Cavs in 1975 in Cleveland (50, 20, 5).
3. The NBA’s last two 50-15-5 games were both recorded at the Wells Fargo Center. On March 17, 2019, Antetokounmpo had 52, 16 and 7 for the Bucks in a game that the Sixers won 130-125. Embiid had 40, 15 and 6 in that game.
4. Embiid is the ninth Sixers with a 50-point game. Iverson (13) and Wilt Chamberlain (11) are the only Sixers in franchise history with more than one. Dolph Schayes had one in 1959, Hal Greer one in 1964, Billy Cunningham one in 1970 and Malone one in 1985. Dana Barros and Willie Burton each had one in 1995.
5. The NBA has only kept records of blocks since 1983, but Embiid is only the eighth player with 50 points and four blocks in a game. David Robinson and Anthony Davis have done it twice already and Joe Barry Carroll, Karl Malone, Vine Carter, Dirk Nowitzki and LaMarcus Aldridge once each. Embiid is the first with 50 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks.
6. Embiid now has eight career matches with at least 40 points and 15 rebounds. Only 16 players had more and 15 of them are in the Hall of Fame. The other one is still active – Anthony Davis. Chamberlain had 32 games with 40 and 15 respectively. Embiid is now level with Charles Barkley for the second most in Sixers history. Only Schayes (4), Malone (2), Cunningham (1), Red Kerr (1) and George Yardley (1) have all had one.
7. Embiid has scored at least 25 points in 13 consecutive games. This is the longest series by a Sixer since Iverson made it in 15 consecutive games during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. It is also the fifth longest series in Sixers history, behind four AI streaks. In 2001, Iverson scored 25 points in a Sixers record 27 straight games. Chamberlain holds the NBA record with 106 straight over the 1962 and 1963 seasons for the Philadelphia and San Francisco Warriors.
8. Embiid is now scoring 29.7 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists per game this year, although he has averaged 35.2 points in 13 games since January 20th. If he finishes the season on 30 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists, he will be the first NBA player to average 30, 10 and 3 in a season since McAdoo in 1975-76 (31.1, 12.4, 4.0)
9. Embiid scored 24.6 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 233 career appearances. The only other players in NBA history who averaged 24, 11 and 3 are Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor, Chamberlain and Abdul-Jabbar.
10. Since the NBA minutes began to follow in the 1983-84 season, Embiid is only the second player with 50 points and 15 rebounds in 35 or fewer minutes. Karl Malone had 61 and 18 in Utah’s 144-96 victory over the Bucks in just 33 minutes in 1990.