After a nightmarish performance in Toronto on Monday night where he went scoreless for the first time in his NBA career, Joel Embiid came out aggressive on Wednesday. The big man started the game with a ferocious dunk on former Sixer Richaun Holmes and it jump-started him to score 33 points 10-for-19 shooting and grab 16 rebounds in a 97-91 win over the Sacramento Kings.
Some considered a sort of “prove it” game for Embiid. A game where he had to put the last one behind him and force his way back on track. However, if you ask Embiid, he has nothing to really prove.
Embiid said:
I didn’t have to prove anything. I’ve matured a lot since I’ve got in the league. I understand the end goal is winning a championship so we’ve got to take it day-by-day. People are going to talk and I’ve learned not to pay attention to it. It doesn’t get to me. I just do it for myself, I just do it for the organization, and I just do it for my family. I don’t have anything to prove to anybody, I literally do not care about whatever was said after that performance so, like I said I don’t have anything to prove to anybody.
To Embiid’s point, he has been an All-Star for two consecutive seasons and he is one of the best players in this league regardless of position. However, it did seem like there was more pep in his step to begin this one.
Embiid added:
It was just about my teammates, the organization, and making sure I do a better job to put us in a situation to win games. I didn’t do that against Toronto. It wasn’t about proving anything, it was about making the right play. Even in Toronto, I had zero points, but I felt like I did, in the circumstances, I did what I was supposed to do. Not play for myself, I always play for my teammates, I always play to win, whatever it takes. That’s what I’m going to do, tonight was a different story. I was just a little bit more free and I took advantage of it.
The Sixers are now 8-0 at home and will head into Thanksgiving sitting at 12-6 before heading to New York to face the Knicks on Friday. [lawrence-related id=20156,20148,20141]