Joel Embiid Gets Career-high 59 Points, Leads 76ers past Jazz 105-98

On Sunday night, Joel Embiid led the Philadelphia 76ers to a 105-98 victory over the Utah Jazz with a career-high 59 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists.

In addition, Embiid blocked seven shots. Over the past week, after getting over a cold, Embiid has clearly gotten back into form. The night before, in a victory over Atlanta, the current NBA scoring champion scored 42 points.

18 points were scored by Malik Beasley for the Jazz.

With 1:19 remaining and the Sixers leading 101-98, Embiid stopped Collin Sexton from converting a driving layup. The All-Center then swooped in and made a quick jump shot to secure the victory.

On the second night of a home back-to-back, Embiid overcame niggling injuries to record his season-defining performance. He converted 19 of his 28 field goal attempts and 20 of his 24 free throw attempts, keeping the Sixers from losing to the young Jazz.

The Sixers were led by Tyrese Maxey’s 18 points, but their other three starters combined for just 10 points. 13 points were scored by Embiid in the opening frame, followed by 11 in the second and nine more in the third.

With 4:56 remaining in the fourth, Embiid made two free throws to give the team a 96-94 advantage, matching his previous career high of 50 points. Embiid had already reached the 50-point mark twice. At the 4:17 second mark, the 7-footer made two more free throws to give his team a 98-96 lead.

He had Sixers fans chanting “MVP! MVP! and one yelled “He’s gonna get 60!”

So close.

The Jazz continuously fouled him down the stretch, giving him plenty of chances to score, but the big man kept converting from the line. Late in the game, when the score was 101-98, he only made four free throw attempts, all of which he missed.

TIP-INS

Utah: Went 4-3 during a stretch of six of seven away games. … 8 of 13 free throw attempts in the first half were missed.

76ers: In the first half, Embiid scored 24 points, making it the 30th time since the start of last season that he has done so. … Five steals were made by Matisse Thybulle.

AINGE TRIBUTE

During the 2006–07 NBA season, Doc Rivers, the Boston Celtics’ head coach, was in the middle of an 18-game losing streak and he pondered whether a coaching change might be imminent. Instead, team president Danny Ainge frequently expressed regret for his part in the roster construction. Ainge would tell him to be patient and persevere, according to Rivers. Ainge and Rivers’ 2008 NBA championship victory with Boston was the result of their perseverance.

As he prepared to undergo a rebuild this season, Ainge, who is now the CEO of Utah, preached similar patience. Additionally, he has confidence in Will Hardy, a young coach.

“He’s never very emotional with his reaction,” Hardy said. “That’s very comforting as a new head coach and a young coach. He never gets too worked up. He has been incredibly encouraging, and I can tell that he trusts me.”

Source: https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/embiid-scores-careerhigh-59-leads-76ers-past-jazz-10598