Joel Embiid hit another career milestone Wednesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, becoming the ninth player in Philadelphia 76ers franchise history to surpass 10,000 career points.
According to ESPN Stats and Info, Embiid reached the mark in only 373 games, five fewer than Allen Iverson (378), who previously held the distinction as the fastest Sixer to accomplish the feat.
Embiid also became the 11th fastest player in NBA history to score 10,000 points, per Stathead.
Embiid led the way on offense for the Sixers, finishing with 29 points in a 118-112 win over the Cavaliers, shooting 9-of-21 from the field and 11-of-12 from the charity stripe. The All-Star added 14 rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block.
Through 44 games, Embiid is second in the NBA in points per game (33.2) and 11th in rebounds (10.1). The 28-year-old is among the favorites to win the NBA MVP award. According to Oddschecker, sportsbooks list Embiid with the second-best odds (+420) to win MVP behind two-time winner Nikola Jokic (-160) of the Denver Nuggets.
At the All-Star break, Embiid and the Sixers have won 26 of their last 33 games. At 38-19, Philadelphia trails the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics (42-17) by three games and the second-place Milwaukee Bucks (40-17) by only two games.
Bothered by a nagging foot injury, Embiid’s status for this weekend’s All-Star game is up in the air. When asked Wednesday night if he’d play in the annual showcase, Embiid seemed unsure.
“I haven’t been healthy,” Embiid told reporters via Derek Bodner. “I’ve been having this lingering foot issue, which according to the doctors needs a lot of rest.”
Embiid’s importance to the Sixers is obvious, and it might behoove him to take the next eight days to rest up for the stretch run. After the break, 14 of the Sixers’ remaining 25 games are against teams with winning records, including two more meetings each with the Celtics and Bucks, along with matchups against the top two teams in the Western Conference in the Nuggets (41-18) and Memphis Grizzlies (35-22).
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