Joel Embiid's Career Night Too Much For Victor Wembanyama, Spurs As 76ers Cruise to Home Victory
Standing with his back to the crowd and eyes on the atmosphere in the City of Brotherly Love, Victor Wembanyama had no idea his 7-foot opponent was sizing him up 30 minutes prior to tipoff.
The 20-year-old rookie was straight off of his fourth straight 20-point performance against the Washington Wizards and had just one more to go before returning to San Antonio with the rest of his teammates for a seven-game home stand.
But before it could set its sights on "home sweet home," it had to get through 48 minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers in front of the NBA's most brutal crowd.
And by the end of it, "getting through" was about as good as the matchup could have been described. Wembanyama shined, but it wasn't nearly enough as the 76ers cruised to a 133-123 home victory to silence the rookie.
Joel Embiid — the sizing-up culprit from pre-game — had himself a career outing, notching a franchise-best and career-high 70 points. His total marked just the fifth time a player in Philadelphia Blue hit that mark and the ninth time an NBA player did so, as he also shot 58 percent from the field with 21 made free throws to secure his team's win.
It was a two-man show for San Antonio all night, as Wembanyama did his thing to record a 33-point performance to pair with his lone block and Devin Vassell's 22 points. Doug McDermott notched 13 points of his own off the bench, but it wasn't enough as the Spurs dropped their 35th game of the season.
Jan 22, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) shoots against San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center.
© Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
While the first of many matchups between Wembanyama and Embiid proved to be a good one, the first quarter made it seem like it wouldn't just be the two 7-footers keeping things competitive.
After a string of back-and-forth from the two front men got things started, Tobias Harris and Vassell carried the torch from there to keep the momentum rolling. In fact, by the end of the first quarter, San Antonio had a one-point edge in what was sizing up to be a four-quarter game.
The second period of play only further proved that.
Between the rookie, the vet and both sets of teammates, neither the 76ers or the Spurs could truly pull away. Julian Champagnie even found a groove next to McDermott to keep the Spurs in striking distance. But again, with every bucket the Spurs scored, so, too, did the 76ers.
By halftime, Embiid had notched 22 points and the 76ers had a four-point lead, but the action wasn't nearly over yet.
Safe to say, Gregg Popovich's pre-game plan didn't quote hold up.
"We are going to hammer his a**," the Spurs' veteran coach said of facing Embiid. "I told Wemby to stick him ... back him down over the rim and just throw him through the rim."
The third quarter finally saw the Monday-evening matchup turn into a blowout, as Embiid and the 76ers continued to lay it on San Antonio. Philadelphia went to the fourth quarter with a double-digit lead and still 12 minutes to go.
And Embiid made the most of it.
In the fourth quarter, the 7-footer has his sights set on turning a good game into a historic one. His point totals were already nearing 60 before the final period had even commenced, but down the stretch, breaking the team record and his personal best was already a foregone conclusion.
Embiid played hero ball in his final possessions, knocking down mid-range after midrange on top of getting to the line to put a bow on his 70-point performance and secure a 133-123 victory for his team.
There just wasn't anything the Spurs could do.
With the loss, the San Antonio Spurs fall to 8-35 on the season and notch another loss to close out their mini road trip. Wembanyama continued to shine and considering they were playing against an MVP with a franchise record on the line, they fared decently.
Now, with what little momentum they did generate, they'll head back home to face the Oklahoma City Thunder to kick off NBA Rivals Week and a seven-game home stand.
Tipoff from Frost Bank Center is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CST Wednesday.
