Joel Embiid scored a franchise-record 70 points, the most in the NBA this season, to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 133-123 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Embiid had a phenomenal game, scoring a career-high 70 points and grabbing 18 rebounds.
He made 24 of 41 field goals, including 1 of 2 three-pointers, and sank 21 of 23 free throws, which broke Wilt Chamberlain's 76ers record of 68 points set in 1967.
Chamberlain had also set the NBA record with 100 points while playing for the Philadelphia Warriors. Embiid, a six-time All-Star, and the current MVP, extended his streak of scoring at least 30 points in 21 consecutive games, contributing to the 76ers' six-game winning streak.
In a matchup against rookie Victor Wembanyama, who scored 33 points, Embiid found added motivation in his nightly mission.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich joked before the game that the Spurs’ plan against Embiid was to “hammer his (butt). I told Wemby to back him down over the rim and just throw him through the rim.”
But it was clear from the start that nothing was going to work. Embiid had 24 points on 8-for-12 shooting in the first quarter.