"My chest was killing me": Joel Embiid claims he was 'struggling' with illness in season's first 50-piece outing vs Wizards
Joel Embiid put up a masterful performance on Wednesday night when the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Washington Wizards 131-126. Embiid came up with a huge double-double outing with 50 points and 13 rebounds, backing up why he was crowned the NBA MVP last season. However, it appears that the Sixers star notched those numbers with a handicap.
During a post-game interview, the Sixers big man revealed that he was feeling ill throughout the night. He mentioned that he struggled to play during the first half of the game but slowly became better come the second half. Despite the challenges he faced on Wednesday, Embiid managed to carry Philly to victory with a huge 50-point outing:
"I feel good," Embiid said in the post-game interview. "My chest was killing me. I was getting back a little bit. I thought I felt a bit better in the second half. I was struggling. But I'm much better than I was."
Sixers vs Wizards Recap: Joel Embiid's flu game led to a 50-point outing
The Philadelphia 76ers recently beat the Washington Wizards 131-126 on Wednesday night. This was the night when Sixers fans saw the return of Kelly Oubre Jr. after being out for nearly a month due to several injuries he suffered from a hit-and-run incident on Nov. 11. Despite being shelved for nearly four weeks, Oubre Jr. put up decent numbers with 12 points and three rebounds in his return.
When talking numbers, the guy who put it all on the floor on Wednesday was Joel Embiid. The Sixers star played through an illness and still managed to put up a monstrous double-double performance with 50 points and 13 rebounds. Even though the Wizards put up a good fight against Philly, Embiid's barrage of baskets overwhelmed Washington.
The other two players in double figures were Tyrese Maxey and De'Anthony Melton. As expected, Maxey continued to prove why he should be named an All-Star this season with 26 points and seven assists. As for Melton, he supported his team by adding an all-around with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists.