Joel Embiid soaked in every bit of a career night in front of all the bright lights at the Staples Center, one of the most iconic basketball venues along with the TD Garden and Madison Square Garden, one that saw the Philadelphia 76ers second-year center unleash his inner beast on the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 7-footer torched the purple-and-gold for 46 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, and seven blocks, in a near-quadruple-double effort that netted the Sixers their eighth win of the season. Embiid didn't have any competition in the trash-talking department, a part of the game in which he has thrived through his 43 games as a pro.

Related NewsArticle continues below
The Pacers celebrating Tyrese Haliburton's buzzer beater against the Knicks in Game 1, which WWE Superstar Grayson Waller trolled New York for.
WWE star trolls Knicks after Game 1 choke vs. Pacers
Timothée Chalmet and Ben Stiller at Knicks-Pacers Game 1 on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
Ben Stiller’s 6-word question after Knicks’ shocking Game 1 collapse vs. Pacers

“Too bad there wasn't any trash-talker out there,” Embiid said with a smile, according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. “But I still had fun and I got going. I just wanted to be aggressive. That's my new mentality. I can't wait to keep the same momentum.”

Embiid was coming off a 32-point, 15-rebounds explosion against the L.A. Clippers in a season-high 36 minutes, but took his game to the next level on Wednesday, already comfortable with the rims, shooting 14-of-20 from the field, 2-of-3 from deep, and a smooth 16-of-19 from the free-throw line to notch a career-high.