76ers' Joel Embiid equals the great Wilt Chamberlain in statement win over Celtics
It's incredibly early in the 2023-2024 NBA season but reigning MVP Joel Embiid has picked up where he left off.
Following another standout performance on the stat sheet in a statement win over the rival Boston Celtics on Wednesday, Embiid equaled a Sixers Hall of Famer and an NBA all-time great.
In the Sixers 106-103 victory over the Celtics, Embiid dropped 27 points and 10 rebounds. Per ESPN Stats and Info , Embiid is the first 76ers player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1965 to average 30 points and 10 boards through the first seven games of a season.
According to Stathead, Embiid is only the 15th player in NBA history to accomplish the feat. Seven players have done it multiple times, while only Elgin Baylor (5) and Chamberlain (8) did it more than two times. Embiid is only the third active player to average 30 and 10 through seven games, joining Giannis Antetokounmpo (2017, 2022) and Anthony Davis (2016).
From the outside, the trade of James Harden looked like a major loss for the Sixers. Only a few games in, though, it seems to be addition by subtraction. Yes, in the post-Harden era, Embiid and the Sixers seem to be doing just fine.
Following an Opening Night loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Philly has rallied off six victories in a row, including wins over the Phoenix Suns (112-100) and the Celtics on Wednesday. Embiid and Tyrese Maxey – Harden's replacement at point guard – are becoming quite the dynamic duo. In the Sixers win over the Celtics, the two combined for 52 points, 19 rebounds and nine assists. Maxey had 26 points with nine rebounds and tied for the team lead in assists (5).
At 6-1, the Sixers are now atop the Eastern Conference and one of only two teams in the NBA (Denver Nuggets, 7-1) with just one loss.
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