All 76ers

WATCH: 76ers' Joel Embiid Joins Jazz's Dance Team at Half Court

76ers center Joel Embiid gets loose before Saturday's game.
WATCH: 76ers' Joel Embiid Joins Jazz's Dance Team at Half Court
WATCH: 76ers' Joel Embiid Joins Jazz's Dance Team at Half Court

As the Philadelphia 76ers geared up for their Saturday night matchup against the Utah Jazz, Sixers center Joel Embiid was the center of attention before the game got started.

With Utah’s dance team doing a pregame routine at half court, Embiid was in the middle and unwilling to move for the performance. And instead of standing there awkwardly doing nothing, Embiid decided to move a bit with the performance, in “Troel” Embiid fashion.

It’s no surprise Embiid was loose ahead of Saturday’s game. After all, the last time the big man went toe-to-toe with the Jazz in South Philly on November 13, he had himself a career-night.

Without James Harden on the court, Joel Embiid took matters into his own hands and made up for the void of the All-Star. Spending 36 minutes on the floor, Embiid drained 19 of his 28 shots and capitalized on 20 of his 24 free throws. 

The big man finished the night with 59 points. Although Embiid has suffered some setbacks since that performance, the All-Star big man has been on a roll this year.

Last month, Embiid appeared in all 13 games for the Sixers. During December, Embiid averaged 54 percent from the field and 42 percent from three, putting up 35 points per game. In addition to scoring, Embiid averaged ten rebounds and four assists per game. 

His performance throughout the month of December helped land the big man the right to be called the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Month. 

Going into Saturday’s game against Utah, Embiid was gearing up for his 31st game of the season. He is putting up 34 points per game, while coming down with ten rebounds and dishing out four assists. He’s draining 54 percent of his shots from the field throughout the season so far, which is at a career-high pace. 

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations


Published
Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

Share on XFollow @JGrasso_