scored 40+ points back to back and led the Suns to a 23-point reversal with a difficult buzzer beater. Kevin Durant made his own famous scene on a crazy NBA night. But no one expected that when he came to the press conference after the game, there would be extra easter eggs for the media present. This surprise had nothing to do with the game, just because a reporter told kd about Emby earlier that night. A piece of news from Germany.
"How many did you say? 7...70 points? He scored 70 points? Wow!"
is very good. As the top surfer in the NBA, Durant's reaction at this time seems to be no different from that of every ordinary person. His true feelings are revealed. , so shocked that he wanted to curse. This fully shows that whether it is fans or NBA historical scorers, when they hear someone scores 70 points in a game, the reaction is the same.
As you all know, Embiid made 24 of 41 shots in the 76ers' game against the Spurs yesterday (Beijing time). Facing the new generation of supermodel monster Victor Vunbanyama, Embiid showed his In peak form, he scored 70 points, 18 rebounds and 5 assists.
It may be difficult for Wenban to imagine that in a game in which he scored 33 points and 7 rebounds, the player he faced had more than doubled these two statistics...
On the day of the game against the Spurs, Emby De arrived at the arena even a little later than usual. The local traffic conditions in Philadelphia caused their biggest star player to be stuck on the road and unable to move, so Embiid's warm-up that day was not as thorough as usual. But as long as you do something, you can explain all external factors into some beautiful coincidences. Embiid joked after the game that it might be because he didn't warm up that he had the physical fitness to take more than 40 shots in a game. Second-rate.
For most players, Embiid's expression actually makes sense. In North American professional sports, there is a concept that is widely applicable to all projects called "workload", that is, workload. For a starting pitcher in a baseball game, throwing 80 to 90 pitches in a game is considered a normal workload, but throwing 100 pitches may be slightly overloaded; star running backs in football can often take on more gears and do not have top-notch equipment. Teams have to frequently rotate running back candidates to maintain their physical fitness and impact on the field; the same is naturally true for NBA players. Playing time is only one aspect. How much work each game has to bear will further test a player's load capacity. Billups was deeply impressed by Kobe's scoring of 40 or 50 points when he was a player. "I only scored so many points in a game when I was in high school. Then the next day, my shoulders were sore and I felt like I couldn't lift my arms." ā.
Back to Embiid, his previous single-game shot record was 32 shots in multiple games. If free throws are included, the game with the most shots in his career was against the Wizards at the end of 2022, with 32 sports shots. , and 14 free throw attempts. On the day he faced the Spurs, he suddenly increased the number of times he raised his arm to shoot from 46 to 64 times.
For any NBA player, this is obviously an extremely terrifying workload, and it is even more unbelievable for a heavy center. But if you happened to watch the entire game, you will feel: Embiid is simply Not tired, he simply finished the game with plenty of room for success.
There are many reasons why Embiid is not tired.
For example, the Spurs' lineup has shortcomings. There is no one in the lineup who can challenge him. This allows Embiid to go deep into the basket countless times, grab offensive rebounds, and score second offense;
For example, the full support of his teammates. , especially Maxi and Batum. One kept returning the ball after the pick-and-roll, allowing Embiid to get the ball in the sweet spot of the free throw line, and the other used superb high passes to beat Embiid under the basket. Bede fed.
But the most important reason why Embiid is not tired is that he has mastered the wonderful weapon of mid-range shooting.
In this battle with the Spurs, Embiid took 22 jump shots and hit 11 of them, most of which were concentrated near the free throw line. His 50% shooting rate is in line with his normal situation this season (50.5%). . Now Embiid has completely designated this area to his name, and he wishes he could buy a three-bedroom apartment and live in it.Because teammate Maxi has enough speed to tear up the defense and take away the defense, after the two pick and roll, Embiid can often catch the ball at the free throw line. Once Embiid has a superb mid-range, his Not only did he score calmly in front of the Spurs, but he was still able to put Gobert in a dilemma when facing the league's top defensive Timberwolves earlier in the season.
Looking back on last year, Embiid was already very good at mid-range during the MVP season. He averaged 5.2 points per game from mid-range shots, ranking fifth in the league, and his mid-range shooting percentage of 48.7% was considered top-notch; but this year, Embiid is Germany's average 6.6 points per game has jumped to the top of the league, and his 50.5% shooting rate is also among the best among players who frequently use mid-range shots.
According to data provided by the NBA official website, in the 21st century, only Nowitzki and Durant, two shooting gods, have been able to score so many mid-range points with a 50% shooting rate.
But compared with these people, including compared with mid-range shooting masters such as Kobe and Tracy McGrady, Embiid also has a natural advantage, and that is his positional attributes.
In Kobe's career, almost every mid-range shot he took required a lot of fighting to create shooting space. Those turning back were undoubtedly much more difficult than one of Embiid's shots. Why? The most direct reason is that the perimeter defense experts who faced Kobe will spare no effort to fight against him personally. Even if Kobe gets rid of him, there are other position players behind him, especially the center who can defend the basket.
But Embiid, all teams are responsible for facing him, they are the big centers responsible for defending the last line of defense.
When Embiid catches the ball at the free throw line, can Benyama or Gobert directly stick to Embiid? It's unlikely. When the defender comes up to meet him, Embiid can easily hold the ball and drive to the basket. Even if other players cover up the defense, they can't stop such a huge Embiid at all. So you can only give him one step of space and try to interfere with Embiid as much as possible when he takes action, but this step is obviously enough for Embiid, who has improved again this season. Then, when you are finally annoyed by his shots and decide to go up to him again, congratulations, there is a high probability that you will be killed by him. Wen Banyama was jumped twice by Embiid in one game. This time, he paid for some fouls that he could have avoided when facing other players.
So we must admit: Embiid is a genius player. He has a terrifying learning ability, extraordinary touch, and a huge body. As a heavy center, he can develop such soft mid-range skills and become an opponent. The super killer who is difficult to defend - to a certain extent, Giannis is already a super genius, but Embiid's jump shot is simply a skill that Alphabet dreams of possessing.
18 years after Kobe Bryant slayed the dragon with 81 points, Embiid used his performance to remind people of the league legend again. After the game, he himself specifically mentioned Kobe Bryant on social media as a tribute.
already possesses huge destructive power in the low post, coupled with the free throw shooting ability that many people envy and hate. Now that Embiid has become a huge mid-range threat, he has obviously made further progress based on his mvp season.
Before this game, Embiid had scored 30+ points in 20 consecutive games. His ability to score high points in a certain game was a story that could happen at any time. Then facing the Spurs, not only did they catch up with a relatively weak opponent, but six teammates including Melton, Covington, Beverley, and Marcus Morris were absent due to injuries, creating opportunities for Embiid. This created a game environment in which "he could not open up the score, but also needed more shots from him." He scored 24 points in the first quarter, which had laid the foundation for high scores.
But in another game on the same day, Karl-Anthony Towns' performance actually proved that this matter of explosive touch may happen to many players in the NBA. Towns made 8 three-pointers in the half, and the first two The momentum of scoring 44 points in the quarter was even more fierce than Embiid's.But at the end of the game, Towns' scoring ability suddenly dropped. He only made 2 of 10 shots in the final quarter. Although the referee made a major missed call at the end of the game, Towns' anxiety and inefficiency were completely written on his face throughout the game. , there were even 7 mistakes in the game. After the game, even team coach Chris Finch angrily complained that the team played a very immature game, and even used the adjective "disgusting" .
Is Finchās expression too strict? Maybe, but as a coach, he obviously cannot accept that the No. 1 team in the Western Conference lost at home to the Hornets, which is last in the league. Correspondingly, it was Embiidās mood during the game. āDuring the game, the players and I The only thing we say is don't force it, let's play hard. If I'm open, of course you can give me the ball. If I don't have a chance, make sure you make the right judgment." Enbi De said, "Unfortunately, Danuel House was even booed by the fans during the game. We were actually making the right choice. Obviously my teammates have helped me enough."
So Enby De had 5 assists and only 1 turnover in this game. The number of assists is not exaggerated for this season, but it included a very wonderful back pass to Oubre, which may be the best pass in Embiid's career. One of the goals, and in the fourth quarter, he was still sharing with players of House's level. The result of
's pursuit of "let nature take its course" was that Embiid maintained a process of scoring 2 points every minute for almost the entire game. Played 12 minutes in the first quarter and scored 24 points; played 7 minutes and 22 seconds in the second quarter and scored 10 points; played 12 minutes in the third quarter and scored 25 points; played 5 minutes and 16 seconds in the fourth quarter and scored another 11 points - - Therefore, adding up the four quarters of the game, Embiid only used 36 minutes and 38 seconds, achieving 70 points in the shortest single game in NBA history.
Whatās more terrifying than scoring 2 points per minute in this game is that after this game, Embiidās statistics this season have reached , playing 1096 minutes and scoring 1156 points, which is every 1 minute he played in the entire season. Every minute is worth more than 1 point. In the history of the NBA, only Chamberlain has done this with , and no other predecessor has done it.
In the history of the Philadelphia 76ers, they have had many superstars, from Chamberlain to Barkley, and from Iverson to Embiid. In the battle against the Spurs, Embiid also broke the previous record. The franchise record of 68 points in a single game held by Chamberlain. The content of Embiid's interview after the game was also related to Chamberlain. When the reporter told him that in NBA history, only Michael Jordan had achieved 65 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists in a single game before, Embiid couldn't bear it. He asked: "Isn't there Chamberlain? When we mention those world records, his name is always in it. I believe he must have done it on some occasions."
's speech is similar to the praise he received a few days ago Jokic is the best in the league, including telling his teammates not to force himself during the game that day. These successive statements seem to be the same as Embiid's own playing level, which has become more mature than ever this season. Including being substituted with 1 minute left in the game, you must know that Embiid, who already has 70 points, will become the active NBA player's single-game scoring leader with one more goal. Two more goals will make him the only player in history. Players like Chamberlain and Kobe. But he was replaced calmly.
Due to the promotion of this game, Embiid's already terrifying high-level statistics this year have further surged, with his per value soaring to 35.6, significantly exceeding the historical record set by Jokic two years ago. Therefore, if Embiid plays enough games this season, he will be elected as MVP even more uncontroversially than last season.
But it seems that not only is Embiid's playing level different from last year, but his mentality has also undergone a huge change. Winning an MVP trophy has made him let go of his obsession. His concepts about basketball and life are changing accordingly, and he is beginning to be willing to recognize the excellence of others.Will this kind of growth bring him true transformation?
In the playoffs, a more cruel test will surely await Embiid. There will be more players who will not hesitate to fight with him head-to-head. The top two in the Eastern Conference are even more enemies that stand in front of him. Is his mid-range game unfavorable? But the Celtics can let Horford come up to entertain him, and even keep Porzingis to protect the basket, and prepare a Holiday defensive package for Embiid from time to time; what about the Bucks? Their backcourt defense is very poor, but if Antetokounmpo directly confronts Embiid and retains Luo Luo to protect the frame at the basket, how will Embiid respond?
Embiid, who has never made it past the second round of the playoffs in his career, must go through a test at this level if he wants to achieve a breakthrough this season. It is even possible for opponents like the Heat and Knicks to defeat them in the first round. It's a painful experience. He still has a long way to go to avoid becoming that player who "wins multiple MVPs but achieves nothing."
So Embiid himself knows very well, "What does 70 points mean? It means nothing until you win the ultimate honor."
