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.
