Joel Embiid fully lived up to his ‘Troll’ monicker last night, taking multiple jabs at the fans in the T.D. Garden during the Philadelphia 76ers‘ 118-114 win over the Boston Celtics. First, after making a tough three-pointer to close out the first half, Embiid ran back, jaw-jacking at the crowd while making a ‘F**k you’ gesture with both his hands.
Embiid cashes from three before halftime 💰
Philly up 66-58 on Boston 🔔 pic.twitter.com/WVdpF0L1Vh
— ESPN (@espn) December 25, 2024
And then, near the end of the game, after the 76ers had sealed a massive upset win over the Celtics, Embiid continued to mess with the crowd, waving goodbye and trash-talking the fans in attendance.
Embiid waves goodbye to Boston fans as Philly walks away with the Christmas win 🎄 pic.twitter.com/c0AQWDeebj
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 26, 2024
It’s surprising that the referees missed the first gesture, considering how blatant Embiid was being. This kind of language and gesticulation is a big no-no for NBA officials, so to see Embiid get away with this kind of gesture is really surprising. Especially when you consider that he was ejected from the 76ers’ last game against the Spurs for getting in a female referee’s face aggressively.
Embiid definitely earned the right to talk trash to the crowd, as he had a strong performance against the Celtics. Playing against one of the best teams in the NBA, Embiid put up 27 points (8-15 FG), nine rebounds, and two assists, including an impressive 4-5 three-pointers made. It was one of his best performances this season.
Embiid has regularly struggled with his fitness, including this season. But when healthy, he is without a doubt, one of the best players in the entire league. And performances like the one he had last night prove that a healthy Embiid is a problem for opposing teams.
It’s not just Embiid’s performance in a vacuum that was impressive. It’s the circumstances surrounding the win. The 76ers have started this year quite poorly, while Embiid has struggled for fitness. And they had to play the defending champions in their backyard. This was by no means a cakewalk for Embiid and the 76ers.
76ers Quietly Turning Things Around
Don’t look just yet, but the Philadelphia 76ers might be figuring things out this season. After a horrendous 5-15 start to the season in their first 20 games, the 76ers have gone 6-2 in their last eight games, showing that they might be turning over a new leaf this season.
A large part of their turnaround can be credited to their stars. Joel Embiid, who has struggled massively with his health this season, has only played in nine games. But his return this month has spurred the 76ers into good form, as they are 4-1 since he has started playing again.
Embiid is averaging 21.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks this season. And while he is yet to show that he can play consistently for a long stretch this season, he has gotten off to a strong start since coming back from his second injury.
The 76ers, on paper, have one of the strongest rosters in the NBA. But because of injuries, they haven’t been able to get things going the right way. The hope right now is that their All-Star trio of Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey can play regularly together, and start winning games. That’s the only way they can save their season.
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