The Philadelphia 76ers ended up defeating the Miami Heat in Game 3 of their second-round series. The game was notable due to the fact that 76ers MVP candidate Joel Embiid made his return, and helped the team get a win in Philadelphia.
During the game, Joel Embiid was forced to wear a mask to protect his face, as he is playing through an orbital fracture. After the game, Joel Embiid posted an Instagram post featuring himself wearing the mask, with the caption “No one cared who I was until I put on the mask”. Heat star Jimmy Butler commented on the post, stating “F**k yo mask” in response.
Jimmy Butler doesn't care about Embiid's mask 😂 pic.twitter.com/gXXUIP7DSN
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 7, 2022
Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid are good friends, and it is quite likely that this was just a form of banter between the two. Previously, Jimmy Butler even lamented the fact that Joel Embiid would miss time during the series, claiming that the team wanted Joel Embiid to play, and thus “prove” that they “can hang with anybody” and that they “can beat anybody”.
“I think I speak for everybody that’s a part of this team, we want Jo to play. We want to go up against them at full strength and prove that we can hang with anybody and we can beat anybody.”
It will be interesting to see who ends up winning the matchup between Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler. Both players can be considered superstars, and it will be interesting whose team ends up winning.
The momentum right now seems to be in the Philadelphia 76ers’ favor. They had a very convincing win at home, and having Joel Embiid changes things for them on both ends of the floor. Jimmy Butler won’t back down from the challenge though, and Game 4 will definitely be pivotal for both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat.
