76ers' Joel Embiid passes Hall of Famer, improves MVP case in win over Pistons

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid

Reigning MVP Joel Embiid is making a solid case for another to add to his mantle.

In the Philadelphia 76ers’ 124-92 blowout victory over the woeful Detroit Pistons, Embiid went off, recording 35 points and 13 rebounds while passing a Hall of Fame legend. In Friday’s outing, Embiid posted his ninth consecutive game of 30-plus points and 10 or more rebounds, a franchise record jumping Wilt Chamberlain, who set the mark with eight in 1965, per Stathead.

To add context to Embiid’s dominant stretch, only seven players have had a streak of nine or more games totaling 30 or more points with 10-plus rebounds. Shaquille O’Neal was the last player to do it, achieving the feat in 2001 before his streak ended at 11 games.

Chamberlain owns the overall record, running an astounding streak of 65 such games for the Philadelphia Warriors during the 1961-1962 season.

Embiid’s play of late is one reason he’s again at the forefront of the MVP conversation. However, another significant factor is his overall numbers, which are slightly better than last year’s. During his MVP-winning 2022-2023 campaign, Embiid recorded 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks. Through 20 games this season, he’s averaging 33.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.8 blocks. His free-throw percentage is also up from 85.7 to 88.4.

Embiid’s history-making evening didn’t surprise point guard Tyrese Maxey. Mostly because he, his teammates and the entire Philadelphia area know that the center often does incredible things.

Upon hearing of Embiid’s accomplishment, Maxey said, “Can anybody guess what I’m about to say?” To which the reporters gathered replied, “Joel Embiid is good at basketball.”

By now, they expect greatness from Embiid. Whether or not he can continue his unreal stretch and win another MVP remains to be seen, but he’s already produced an extremely compelling argument nearly a quarter of the way through the season.

According to Oddschecker, Embiid has the third-best odds (+600) to repeat as MVP, trailing Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic (+450) and Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic (+200).

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