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Joel Embiid may have delivered the performance that will bring him the MVP trophy after finishing second to Nikola Jokic the past two years. "The Process" dropped 50 points on the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, the third time that he's reached at least the half-century mark this season.
Embiid's incredible performance led the Philadelphia 76ers to a pulsating 103-101 win over the defending Eastern Conference champs. The victory marked the first time Philly has won in four attempts against Boston this season.
Fans quickly reacted to his scorching-hot effort on Twitter:
"MVP case looking sealed"
Joel Embiid exploded right out of the gates, scoring 24 first-half points in front of a raucous home crowd. Philly's crowd knew they needed their superstar center to close out the season in great form to nail the tightly-contested MVP race.
Embiid was 20-25 from the field while his teammates combined for only 19-53. The big man also took advantage of his edge in the post almost every time he was sent to the free-throw line. His 12-13 clip from freebies were huge for the 76ers.
The All-Star center also added 13 rebounds, six assists and two blocks to show off his two-way dominance.
The Philadelphia 76ers have already clinched a playoff berth but didn't want to end the regular season winless against the Boston Celtics.
Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets, on the other hand, lost 124-103 to the Houston Rockets, the second-worst team in the NBA record-wise. The reigning MVP finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks.
Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers have to clean up their mistakes in the playoffs
As great as Joel Embiid played tonight, they barely won against the Boston Celtics, who were without Jaylen Brown and Rob Williams.
A glaring difference in Tuesday night's game was the 76ers' inability to score off the break. The Celtics outscored them 15-0 in fastbreak points. This game would have been far more decisive if Philly had simply managed to score buckets in transition.
The Sixers had several opportunities to score easy baskets but didn't step on the gas when they had the Celtics on their heels. Instead, they lumbered and waited for "The Process" to get his customary touch.
Defenses in the postseason will be more attuned to halfcourt sets. Scoring will be more difficult when defenders are ready and set. If the 76ers can't consistently get points off the break and Embiid is having an off-night, they will be in deep trouble.
Philly will only go as far as Embiid can carry them, but they also need to help their superstar. Tonight, they should have given more effort to help the MVP candidate.
If not for P.J. Tucker, who scored three crucial 3-pointers, the Philadelphia 76ers would have wasted Joel Embiid's monster night.
Boston and Philadelphia could meet again in the postseason, which would likely be in the semi-finals. "The Process" has won only one game against the Celtics in the playoffs in two playoff rounds.
The Cs won 4-1 in 2018 and swept the Sixers in 2020. Jayson Tatum and Co. have Philly's numbers and it will likely not change if 76ers can't clean up their act.
You may also like to read: George Karl criticizes Joel Embiid, calls Nikola Jokic the MVP: "Lazy body language ... gets angry at things"
