Joel Embiid has been nothing but dominant this season. The Philadelphia 76er added to his list of amazing performances with a 40 point triple-double against the up and rising Cleveland Cavaliers. Embiid became the only Sixer since wilt chamberlain to put a 40 point triple-double. The big man led the 76ers to a 103-93 victory over the Cavs.
Embiid has been playing lights out this season averaging 29.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. He has also been great defensively and is averaging 1 steal and 1.5 blocks per game this season. With the drama surrounding Ben Simmons, Embiid rose to the occasion to take over the team and be its leader. So far he has done an amazing job, leading the 76ers to the 5th seed in an extremely competitive eastern conference. The 76ers are just 2.5 games behind the 1st seeded Miami Heat and could very well be the 1 seed at the end of this season.
The 76ers took an early lead and held it till the end of the first half. The Cavs did come back to take the lead for a brief period in the 3rd quarter but the 76ers put their foot on the gas and took back the lead. The Sixers had only 2 other players scoring in double figures ( Tobias Harris – 11 points and Tyrese Maxey – 16 points ).
Matisse Thybulle who was rumoured to be in trade talks before the trade deadline ended had an extremely impressive defensive performance for the 76ers, with 6 steals and a block. Paul Reed off the bench had 3 steals as well. The Cavs were led by a 27 point performance from their All-star guard Darius Garland and had 6 players scoring in double figures. But ultimately the Philadelphia big man was too much for them to handle and they fell to the 76ers.
With James Harden arriving in Philly, there are questions of how the 2 players will fit together. I just know that while James Harden is being welcomed with open arms, the minute he hinders Embiid, he will be public enemy Number 1 in Philadelphia. Harden will have to play more of a point guard role in Philadelphia, just like he had in Brooklyn, and score whenever he needs to. The sixers are a juggernaut in the East and with Embiid staying healthy and Harden’s arrival, we might have just witnessed the birth of a dynasty.
