Source: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty
Something you may not hear very often: Coach Gregg Popovich is being forced to eat his words.
Before last night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, the San Antonio Spurs coach was asked about the impending battle between his rookie Victor Wembanyama and six-time All-Star Joel Embiid.
“We’re gonna hammer his ass,” Pop jokingly said, only for Embiid to drop the hammer Monday night.
For what must be the most legendary welcome-to-the-league ass whooping, Embiid dropped a historic 70 points on the Spurs rookie.
He paired it with 18 rebounds and five assists while the Spurs defense –double and triple teaming him included– couldn’t seem to stop him as he beat Wilt Chamberlain’s 76ers scoring record from 1967.
Stats show he was 24 of 41 from the field, and his efficiency at the free-throw line was immaculate, as he only missed two of his 23 attempts.
It was clear that Embiid was poised for a night of greatness. He finished the first half with 34 points and 10 rebounds and had already matched his career-high of 39 points before the third quarter was even over.
After resting, he checked back in with 6:38 remaining, and his teammates began passing him the ball, knowing that the record was in reach.
For a rookie, Wemby was no slouch battling it out against Embiid, dropping 33 points in 29 minutes of play as the Spurs fell to 5-19 in road games.
Despite the long-awaited match up and Embiid sizing up Wemby prior to tip-off, the 76ers big man says playing against the French phenom added no extra sense of competition.
“I wouldn’t sit here and lie to you, but that’s my mindset every single game,” Embiid said after the game. “My mindset is to attack, dominate offensively and defensively, so tonight was no different.”
The scoring clinic comes on the 18th anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors.
See below how social media is reacting to Embiid’s performance.
