Embiid plays through ankle injury to extend 30-10 streak to 13, Sixers beat Raptors 121-111
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 22: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives as Jakob Poeltl #19 of the Toronto Raptors guards during the third quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on December 22, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE T ((Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images))
PHILADELPHIA - Joel Embiid played through an ankle injury to push his 30-10 streak to 13 games, finishing with 31 points and 10 rebounds in the Philadelphia 76ers' 121-111 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
Embiid scored all 31 points after landing awkwardly trying to block a shot with 5:25 left in the first quarter. The 30-10 streak is the longest in the NBA since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it for 16 straight games in 1971-72. Embiid has scored 30 points or more in 14 straight games, the most in the NBA since James Harden had a 32-game run in 2018-19.
Embiid briefly went to the locker room after scoring just two points in the first quarter but returned in the second quarter and had 11 points at halftime. The reigning NBA MVP was noticeably hobbling and winced periodically and favored his right leg, but it didn’t slow him down in the second half. He also had nine assists and four blocks.
Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey each had 33 points, the second time in franchise history three players have scored 30-plus points in a game. The other was in 1961 when Dick Barnett, Hal Greer and Dolph Schayes did it for the Syracuse Nationals.
Harris scored 24 points in the first half. Maxey added 10 assists.
Pascal Siakim led Toronto with 31 points. Jakob Poeltl added 19.
Toronto built a 15-point first quarter lead, but Philadelphia slowly chipped away and took the lead for good with 1:15 to play in the second quarter on Harris' three-point play.
Philadelphia played without Patrick Beverley (right heel soreness) and DeAnthony Melton (left thigh contusion).
UP NEXT
Raptors: Host Utah on Saturday night.
76ers; At Miami on Monday night.