Joel Embiid Drops 70 Points On Senile Gregg Popovich After Spurs Coach Promised To Shut Him Down

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San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he would stick it to Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid, ahead of their Monday night matchup.

"We're gonna hammer his a**," Pop said, touting his new center Victor Wembanyama as the Embiid Stopper.

A pretty daring remark for a Spurs coach with a Western Conference-worst 8-34 record.

Now 8-35.

Joel Embiid Sticks It To Senile Gregg Popovich

Embiid went on to score 70 points — becoming just the ninth player in NBA history to accomplish the feat. He passed Wilt Chamberlain's 68 points for the highest-scoring performance by a Sixer in franchise history.

Pop poked the bear and was subsequently shredded to bits, probably not what he expected.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 19: Head coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during their game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on January 19, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 22: Jeremy Sochan #10 and Doug McDermott #17 of the San Antonio Spurs guard Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on January 22, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Pop chuckled as he promised to stop Embiid but the Spurs were the only joke of the evening.

Additionally, Embiid met the franchise scoring record on the anniversary of Kobe Bryant's 81-point performance against Toronto in 2006.

Philadelphia beat the brakes off the Spurs, maintaining a double-digit lead the entire second half and going on to win, 133-123.

It only took one-half of basketball between the Sixers and Spurs for Popovich's guarantee to turn into a total dud. Embiid racked up 34 points by halftime. He reached a career-high 59 points, with more than nine minutes left in the fourth quarter. Embiid tallied 70 points and 18 rebounds — a groovy stat line for the early MVP favorite.

As for Pop, when he's not yapping on the podium about the latest social issue, he's a provocateur with a clipboard.

Did Joel Embiid catch wind of the senile coach's declaration? Or is Popovich coasting his way to retirement? It sure looked like both on Monday.