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For most players, 41 points in 14-of-17 shooting is a career night. For Joel Embiid, it’s just another day at the office this season. The Philadelphia 76ers center dominated the Indiana Pacers on Saturday to give his team their 50th win of the season, icing on the cake of a remarkable season. With Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James out for their season finale on Sunday, barring something historic, Embiid has won the scoring title at 30.6 points per game.
James and Embiid had been neck and neck for the past few weeks, but James missing out on the end of the Lakers season means he’s only played 56 games overall. A player must have played 58 to retain eligibility for the scoring title. Antetokounmpo would have needed 47 points to even catch a goalless Embiid on Sunday, and far more if Embiid had played and equaled his usual total. Embiid is the first center since Shaquille O’Neal to win the scoring title and only the fourth since 1976 to do so.
In addition to the goalscorer title, Embiid wrote another piece of offensive history on Saturday. Even if he plays and remains goalless on Sunday, he will end the season averaging more than 30 points. He’s the first center in 40 years to average 30 points per game in a season. Stars like David Robinson (29.8 in 1994), Shaquille O’Neal (29.7 in 2000), and Patrick Ewing (28.6 in 1990) all came close, but none have come close since Moses Malone in 1982 the threshold.
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Malone is a fitting comparison for Embiid. During his Hall of Fame career, he won three MVP awards. Embiid is attempting to win his first and has publicly championed the honor. Malone won a championship with the 76ers. Embiid is trying to lead Philadelphia to its first NBA title since.
He still has a long way to go. The 76ers are currently slated for the Eastern Conference No. 4, not an ideal starting point for a championship run. Should they face the Toronto Raptors in the first round, they will be without unvaccinated winger Matisse Thybulle in their away games. James Harden has been struggling lately, and trading for him has taken key depth from the 76s.
But her constant through it all was Embiid. He kept the team afloat before Harden arrived. He even guided her afterwards. He’s having one of the greatest offensive seasons for a big man in NBA history, and now that season will go down in the history books forever.