Tuesday 29 October 2019 13:11, UK
Joel Embiid proved key for the Philadelphia 76ers as they overcame the Atlanta Hawks in a close-run game on Monday night.
The Cameroonian missed Sunday night's victory over the Detroit Pistons with an ankle sprain but shot over 60 per cent from the field and notched 36 points on his return as the Sixers closed out a 115-113 victory over the Hawks.
It was a dominant performance from the man many believe to be the league's best center as he showcased his scoring, rebounding and passing skills in a superb display at the State Farm Arena.
There were a couple of highlights moments to enjoy in particular, when he found Ben Simmons for a layup with a wild between-the-legs pass in the first quarter and when he showed off his pump fake from the left wing before driving in for a monstrous one-handed slam in the third quarter.
He then demonstrated the swagger and charisma that is his trademark by indulging in a celebratory shoulder shimmy after slamming it down on Hawks big man John Collins.
Despite showing the versatility in his repertoire throughout, including two drained threes, Philadelphia found themselves down by six points with 4:02 left against a plucky Atlanta team who have started the season well.
But that was when Embiid decided to take over the game.
He scored six straight points on a pair of foul shots, a cutting dunk and a turnaround hook, all in less than a minute, to get his team back within a point.
Embiid insisted after the game that it was a conscious decision from him to take over in crunch time.
He said: "That is just something that I worked on all summer.
"You have to have the body for that and be able to get into position, especially in the fourth quarter.
"Somebody had to step up, and I felt like that was me."
Given how hot he was, the Sixers kept feeding the big man and his pair of free throws, converted with 5.3 seconds left, were enough to see Philly stretch their unbeaten start to the season.
"He was our crown jewel in a blatant way tonight," coach Brett Brown said. "We have talent, no doubt, but he emerged in significant ways throughout the game.
"I thought that he, and we, did a pretty good job of executing a play at the end of the game.
"Joel carried us tonight and we needed him, particularly offensively."
Overall, Embiid shot 12-for-19 from the field, including 2-for-6 on three-point tries, and 10-for-10 from the foul line. He added 13 rebounds, five assists and three steals for good measure.
Perfectionist that he is, though, it was the fact he committed seven turnovers that Embiid focused on after the game, insisting it was "way too many" and that he has to improve.
He said: "I've got to work on that. I've got to work on my passing. I've got to be more patient. I've got to be better for my teammates."
As he admits, his passing game is a work in progress but Embiid was the fourth-highest scorer in the 2018-19 regular season and was the second-best rebounder as well as being sixth in blocks.
When you consider all of that, the very idea that that the basketball juggernaut that is Joel Embiid can still improve, which of course he still can at 25 years old, is a scary one for the rest of the NBA to contemplate.
