Joel Embiid Snaps Tie-Breaker With Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo

Joel Embiid takes the lead with a notable stat line for this season.

In Detroit on Wednesday, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid got an early night off once again for a great reason. It was an old-school load management type of situation, as the Sixers took care of business against a struggling Detroit Pistons squad.

Embiid earned his early one-way trip to the bench after the third quarter. From the start of the game, the All-Star center feasted on the Pistons’ defense and took advantage of frequent trips to the charity stripe.

From the field, Embiid attempted eight shots in the first quarter, knocking down five of them. He went to the free throw line for nine attempts, finding success on all of them. In his first 12 minutes, Embiid was already on his way to securing a double-double, as he collected 19 points and eight rebounds.

After getting a breather at the start of the second quarter, the Sixers’ star big man picked up right where he left off before halftime. In his next seven minutes on the court, Embiid went 5-7 from the field. He tacked on another 11 points before halftime. By then, he had 30 points, ten rebounds, and one assist as the Sixers established a comfortable 70-56 lead over Detroit.

76ers head coach Nick Nurse gave Embiid the entire third quarter to continue playing as usual. After producing another 11 points, helping the Sixers outscore the Pistons by double-digits once again, Embiid went to the bench to finish the night once and for all.

Embiid posted a stat line of 41 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and two steals. His dominant offensive showing featured an impressive stat line that surpasses some of the NBA’s most notable scorers, putting Embiid in a tier of his own so far.

Number of games this season with 40+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ assists:

Joel Embiid — 3
Luka Dončić — 2
Giannis Antetokounmpo — 2
Jayson Tatum — 1
Donovan Mitchell — 1
Anthony Davis — 1#Sixers | #BrotherlyLove pic.twitter.com/j37u5dGAMQ

— Basketball Reference (@bball_ref) December 14, 2023

Ten times this season, an NBA player put together a performance that featured over 40 points, ten rebounds, and five assists. Embiid is responsible for three of them, which leads the league.

Heading into Wednesday night’s game, Embiid was tied with Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic and Milwaukee Bucks big man Giannis Antetokounmpo. With another outstanding showing on the road, Embiid takes the lead.

Once again, the Sixers’ MVP center is dominating defenses on a nightly basis. Through his first 20 games of action, Embiid is leading the league in scoring, posting 33.8 points per game. He’s on pace to take home the NBA’s scoring title for the third-straight time. He’s also rebounding at a better rate this year while posting a career-high 6.4 assists per game.

There are still a lot of hoops left to be played, but Embiid’s recent stretch is making it difficult not to consider him the league’s early MVP favorite right now.