Two days after his enormous performance and his 51 points scored against Minnesota and Rudy Gobert, Joel Embiid did it again. If the Cameroonian pivot, who could have represented France but chose to join the American national team, was less prolific against Toronto on the night of Friday to Saturday, he still played a big role in the success ( 121-111) won by Philadelphia. Author of 30 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists, last season’s MVP came close to a triple double and also distinguished himself in defense, making 4 blocks.
In this meeting between the third and the twelfth in the Eastern Conference, in which the Frenchman Nicolas Batum did not participate, affected by a hamstring, it was the Raptors who had the best start, leading 37-28 at the end of the first quarter time. But, driven by its stars (Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris also crossed the 30 point mark), the Pennsylvania franchise was able to get back together, widening the gap before the last quarter, which it started by leading by 13 points (87-74) before locking in the end of the match to achieve their eighth success in the last nine matches.
The Sixers’ trio of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris combined for 97 PTS in their win over the Raptors ????
Joel Embiid: 31 PTS, 10 REB, 9 AST
Tyrese Maxey: 33 PTS, 10 AST, 4 3PM
Tobias Harris: 33 PTS, 8 REB, 7 AST pic.twitter.com/YeZleuMGRa— NBA (@NBA) December 23, 2023
A dynamic that goes hand in hand with the form of Joel Embiid. The pivot completed his 14th consecutive game with more than 30 points on Friday. Better still, the Sixers’ core man became the first NBA player to finish 13 games in a row with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds on the clock since legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during the 1971-1972 fiscal year. He will try to continue his series on Tuesday December 26 against the Miami Heat (2 a.m. French time).
In the other matches of the night, the Golden State Warriors scored a fourth victory in a row by winning (129-118) against Bilal Coulibaly’s Washington Wizards. The French winger finished the game with 7 points, 2 assists and 3 rebounds. Nikola Jovic’s Denver Nuggets won (122-117) on the Brooklyn Nets floor while Houston achieved the highlight of the evening by triumphing over the Dallas Mavericks (122-96). Théo Maledon did not participate in Phoenix’s loss to Sacramento (120-105).
