Joel Embiid's Reaction to Leading NBA in Scoring After Win vs. Pacers
Ever since Joel Embiid came back from a nine-game absence due to an ugly battle with COVID-19 earlier in the year, the Philadelphia 76ers center has elevated his game.
Last season, Embiid was better than ever as he inserted his name into the MVP race from the start of the 2020-2021 NBA season until it finished.
While the Sixers' big man didn't come out on top with the win, he was the runner-up, which offered Embiid more motivation going into the 2021-2022 season.
Embiid didn't pick up right where he left off, but at this point, he's engaged in a tight race for the top-of-the-league MVP voting once again.
And following Tuesday's game against the Indiana Pacers, Embiid inserted himself in the front of another race as he handed in another stellar outing.
Leading the League
Last week, Embiid placed third in the points-per-game category league-wide. The veteran center trailed Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But after back-to-back 40-plus point outings, Embiid cut the line to the front. Now, he's in front of Antetokounmpo and James as he's averaged 30.4 points per game in 66 matchups this year.
"It's great," said Embiid following Tuesday's game in Indiana. While Embiid is happy to be the league leader in a notable category such as scoring, the five-time All-Star makes it clear that team wins are his priority.
"The win is also great. That's all I can control," he continued. "I just go out there and do whatever is needed. Tonight, I started off the game, and they doubled hard, and I tried to make the right plays, and then also my teammates got me a bunch of easy baskets, which got me going. I think the key every single night is just to come in and take whatever the defense gives me. We go to Toronto, and they're gonna play the same way. So just trying to make plays and then obviously, it makes it easy when we're knocking down shots too."
With just three games left on the schedule, Embiid has a real shot at snagging the NBA's scoring title. It's unclear if he'll get some time off to rest over the next few days, but it seems the Sixers' star is willing to continue building on his MVP campaign as the regular season winds down.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
