The scent of elimination was still fresh for the Toronto Raptors when Drake approached Joel Embiid in the tunnel.
Surrounded by cameras and hungry reporters, the Raptors superfan trolled the 76ers big man one last time before heading home.
“Now y’all about to get swept,” said the hip hop icon.
Drake has Miami sweeping Philly
(🎥 @HoHighlights ) https://t.co/wVrmeB8Nnu
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 29, 2022
This isn’t the first time the two have exchanged some friendly trash talk. After Game 3, Joel Embiid made sure to tell the Raptors superfan he was looking for the sweep.
Of course, the sweep never happened, and the Raptors racked up two wins before Philly finally closed the series out.
But just because they escaped elimination (for now) doesn’t mean they’ve escaped from all the doubts on the minds of many in the NBA community.
Will Embiid stay healthy for the rest of the postseason? History says no. Will James Harden ever return to his Houston form? Kendrick Perkins doesn’t think so.
“Father Time hits everybody at a different time in their career,” said KP. “I think Father Time has caught James Harden right now in front of our very own eyes. James Harden doesn’t have the speed or the explosiveness to get by guys. He’s unable to get to the rim and finish through contact. He’s not even able to get separation to get his three-point shot off. I get it, everybody wants to say Doc Rivers needs to put him in a position to be successful, but at the end of the day, James Harden has the ball in his hands. They’re running pick-and-roll actions, he’s having isolation plays, what other position can you put him in to have him go out there and succeed? Right now, the game has caught up to James Harden. This is the James Harden we are going to see from here on out.”
The Miami Heat will be a completely different beast for Philly. They’re stronger, deeper, and an all-around more capable ball club than the Raptors.
And while a sweep might be unlikely, the Sixers will need everything to work in their favor if they want to avoid getting bounced.
All the while, you can bet Drake and other Raptors fans will be cheering for their demise.
