Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers are now up 2-0 in their first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets after yet another dominant victory Monday night. With Embiid flashing his MVP form, the Sixers scored a 96-84 win in Game 2, as the Philly star center also finished with 20 points, 19 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks in 37 minutes.
It’s the first time that someone posted that kind of stat line in a playoff game since prime Kevin Garnett way back in 2004 with the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to StatMuse.
Embiid tonight:
20 PTS
19 REB
7 AST
3 BLK
First player to reach those numbers in a playoff game since KG in 2004. pic.twitter.com/W8s9e63sKR
— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 18, 2023
Joel Embiid actually did not dominate like usual in Game 2 in terms of getting his buckets, as his 20 points were way fewer than his regular-season average of 33.1 points. But he made the Nets pay time after time whenever he sniffs a double team coming his way, hence the seven dimes. With the likes of Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey answering the call in Game 2, Embiid did not really have to force the issue. Harris produced 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the field, while Maxey exploded for 33 points with six 3-pointers on 13 shots from behind the arc.
Moreover, Embiid also became just the second player since the merger to rack up at least 20 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists in a playoff contest, joining another Sixers great, Charles Barkley, in the extremely exclusive statistical playoff club.
Embiid and the Sixers now look to bury the Nets in a deeper hole when they take their turn to be the road team in this series.
Game 3 will be at Barclays Center on Thursday.
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