Joel Embiid began nonchalantly – “Just playing my game…" – before delivering a brutally forceful kicker: "…which is dominating like I’ve been doing all season.”
The 76ers star was no less bludgeoning against the Magic earlier last night.
In the latest installment of his insurgent MVP campaign, Embiid scored 50 points in just 27 minutes to lead Philadelphia to a 123-110 win.
Embiid officially played 27 minutes and three seconds. Only Warriors guard Klay Thompson – who scored 52 points in 26:33 against the Bulls in 2018 – is on record with a 50-point game in less playing time.
Here are the lowest-minute 50-point games in the Basketball-Reference database (which has complete playing-time data since 1974-75 and some games prior):
It has become easier to score big quickly with the advent of 3-pointers. But Embiid shot just 1-of-4 from beyond the arc yesterday.
The last time someone scored 50 in fewer than 34 minutes without making multiple 3-pointers? Karl Malone in 1990.
Embiid’s old-school dismantling of Orlando came inside. He shot 16-for-19 on 2-pointers and 15-for-17 on free throws
Perhaps even more surprising: Magic center Mo Bamba – who had a previous career high of 22 – scored 28 points in the first half alone. He shot 7-of-8 on 3-pointers (all in the first half) and finished with 32 points.
Those hot games can happen.
Embiid won’t score 50 every game. Sometimes, he’ll even need to play more minutes for his team to win.
But he’s making his dominance look sustainable.