The 76ers are in a weird state of ambiguity regarding the best direction to go in. Will they be able to move Simmons? Is it in their best interest to move Simmons or wait until the offseason? Should they buy at the deadline even if they can't move Simmons? Should they sell off assets in preparation for a big offseason splurge, lighten Joel Embiid's load and... well, tank?
They're all options, I guess. But after seeing what Embiid was capable of on Monday night, it makes it harder to stomach that last possibility.
That's because the star center scored 41 points, nearly his season-high, while adding 10 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and two steals in an all-around dominant showing. These aren't necessarily displays of his basketball prowess that we're surprised by at this point, but the way in which he handled himself down the stretch would be impressive for any basketball player, in any era, at any time.
Embiid dropped 17 of his 41 points in the final quarter of action, locking in like few other players have when the game was on the line. Fan-favorite NBA Twitter account WorldWideWob, also known as Rob Perez, had the highlights that every fan simply needs to see... and the impressive stats to go along with them.
Think Enes Kanter Freedom had fun with that matchup all night? To his credit, I'm not sure there's anyone who could have defended the last of his three clutch shots. A true 7-footer stepping back from just inside the three-point line while Marcus Smart completely ignores his man to help, and you still knock down the shot while ripping nothing but net? Good luck.
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Some other cool statistical nuggets about his performance:
— It was his fifth 40-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist game, giving him the most of any 76ers player aside from Wilt Chamberlain (via StatMuse)
— He had his third 40-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist and 4-block game, giving him the second most to only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (via ESPN Stats & Info)
— Embiid (41), Seth Curry (26) and Tobias Harris (25) combined for 92 points, the most of any trio of teammates this season (via Tim Bontemps)
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