December 22, 2023, 11:20 p.m. ET
PHILADELPHIA – Joel Embiid overcame an ankle injury to extend his 30-10 streak to 13 games. He finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds in the Philadelphia 76ers' 121-111 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
Embiid scored all 31 points after landing awkwardly trying to block a shot with 5:25 left in the first quarter.
The 30-10 streak is the longest in the NBA since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ran it 16 straight games in 1971-72. Only two other players in league history have recorded 30 points and 10 rebounds in at least 13 consecutive games – Elgin Baylor (15 straight in 1961-62) and Wilt Chamberlain (six straight).
Embiid also scored 30 points or more in 14 consecutive games, the most in the NBA since James Harden played 32 games in the 2018-19 season.
| season | player | games |
|---|---|---|
| 1962-63 | Wilt Chamberlain | 24 |
| 1961-62 | Wilt Chamberlain | 24 |
| 1961-62 | Elgin Baylor | 22 |
| 1960-61 | Wilt Chamberlain | 22 |
| 1966-67 | Rick Barry | 21 |
| 1986-87 | Michael Jordan | 21 |
| 2023-24 | Joel Embiid | 20 |
| 1972-73 | Tiny Archibald | 20 |
| – ESPN stats and information | ||
In the 25 games he has played this season, the big star has put up some eye-catching numbers. Remarkable:
• He is the first player to record 850 points, 250 rebounds and 150 assists in his first 25 games.
• He is the first player since Michael Jordan in the 1986-87 season to score more than 30 points in 20 of his first 25 games.
• Joins Chamberlain, Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the fourth player to average 1 point per minute in at least 25 games during the shot clock era.
Embiid had an early scare on Friday. After scoring just two points in the first quarter, he briefly went to the locker room but returned in the second and had 11 points at halftime.
“I saw that I wasn’t aggressive,” Embiid said. “But then I let the game come to me. I didn’t force any shots and I was able to make a few more shots to go in the third quarter.”
The reigning NBA MVP was noticeably limping, wincing regularly and favoring his right leg, but that didn't slow him down in the second half. He also had nine assists and four blocks.
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Embiid didn't want to talk about his ankle after the game.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I'll get it checked. We will see.”
Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse confirmed it was an ankle injury but didn't say much else.
“Obviously he stayed in the game and his rotation hasn’t changed at all,” Nurse said. “But he played through it and I'm pretty sure he'll be sore tomorrow. We’ll have to monitor it over the next few days before we get on the plane.” [to Miami].”
Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey each scored 33 points, marking the second time in franchise history that three players scored more than 30 points in a game. The other was in 1961 when Dick Barnett, Hal Greer and Dolph Schayes did it for the Syracuse Nationals.
Harris scored 24 points in the first half. Maxey added 10 assists.
“Tobias has been around for a long time,” Maxey said. “He knows how to stay professional and stay ready. He did that tonight. He was great. We appreciate him for that.”
Information from ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press was used in this report.