Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid broke Wilt Chamberlain's single-game scoring record and set a franchise record in Tuesday night's 133-123 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Embiid scored a career-high 70 points, a feat he achieved only 13 times. He became the ninth player to achieve this.
Chamberlain still holds the record for most points scored in a game with 100 points, but his career high was 68 points in Philadelphia. Embiid set the record with a left-handed transition layup late in the fourth quarter. At the Wells Fargo Center, when the ball hit the glass, 76ers fans erupted in applause because they knew what was at stake.
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Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers makes a free throw during a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Monday. (Jesse D. Garabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Embiid finished the game shooting 24-of-41 from the field, an unprecedented number of shots, but if he shot 58.5 percent, no one on the Sixers would be upset about that.
He also got to the free throw line a lot, making 21 of his 23 chances there.
Embiid also grabbed 18 rebounds that night, becoming the first player in league history to do so. He also added five assists.
Embiid's previous career high was a 59-point performance against the Utah Jazz last November.
This once-in-a-lifetime game for Embiid came on a high-profile night as Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembaneyama faced Embiid, the reigning NBA MVP, for the first time.
Embiid was clearly the star of the show, so he didn't mind all the buzz and buzz surrounding Wembane Yama, but “Wembee” certainly held up in a hostile environment, with the duo dropping a total of 33 points and earning their own win. A night where you drop 33 points or more is worth 100 points.
No. 21 Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers takes a bath after scoring a franchise-record 70 points against the Spurs on Tuesday night. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Wenbanyama went 10-of-19 from the charity stripe, 11-of-12 from the field, and had seven rebounds and two assists.
The NBA world showed love for Embiid's impressive performance, including former NBA center Pau Gasol.
“Congratulations on a career night @JoelEmbiid!! #70pieces,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
It's almost poetic that Gasol said this on the same day in 2006 as his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate, the late Kobe Bryant, dropped 81 points.
Embiid is known for his love of Bryant's games, and even said he became obsessed with basketball because of him.
Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrates during the game after setting a franchise record against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Jesse D. Garabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Now, Embiid ranks among the Bryants, Chamberlains, and other NBA legends who have risen to the elite 70-point club.
