Joel Embiid still does not have a championship ring in the NBA, but it will not be on his own merits. The Cameroonian center scored 70 points against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday in the Philadelphia 76ers’ victory over the Texans (133-123) and in the process established a new scoring record in the history of the franchise, snatching it from a legend like Wilt Chamberlain.
The former Sixers and Lakers had scored 68 figures in 1967 against the Chicago Bulls and until now held the franchise’s three best records. In 1966 he had two stellar performances: in one he reached 65 points and in another 62. Allen Iverson was about to equal these records with the 60 that he dedicated to the Orlando Magic in 2005.
The highest score recorded to date in the NBA in a single game bears the signature of Wilt Chamberlain who scored 100 points for the New York Knicks with the Philadelphia Warriors jersey in 1962. The American legend also has the third, the fourth and the fifth best brand. The latter achieved with the San Francisco Warriors.
In second position is Kobe Bryant as the second player with the most points scored in a duel. The American, who died in 2020, signed 81 digits with the Lakers against the Raptors on January 22, 2006. Joel Embiid would be responsible for entering the NBA history books 18 years later, but this time scoring 70 points.
The Cameroonian center is the ninth player in NBA history to reach 70 points, the seventh best score in the North American league. Further back, David Thompson is on the list of filmmakers with the most points in a single game.
The shooting guard from the 70s and 80s, who played for the Denver Nuggets and the defunct Seattle Supersonics, is the sixth all-time leading scorer with 73 points. Active players Damian Lillard and Donovan Mitchell are also in the top 15: both scored 71 points each in 2023.
In the case of Michael Jordan, the best scoring record of the Bulls’ mythical ’23’ in a single matchup is 69 points. It was on March 28, 1990 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in a match that ended with victory for their team (117-113).
At the European level, Luka Doncic is the European player who has achieved the most digits in the same match. The Slovenian guard signed 60 in December 2022 with the Dallas Mavericks.
