There is no love lost between Joel Embiid and the Toronto Raptors after their bruising battle in the first round of the playoffs last season. The Raptors weren’t fans of Embiid getting a lot of calls in that series while the big man wasn’t too happy when the Raptors fans cheered when he got injured.
The teams faced off for the third time this season on Monday night, with the Philadelphia 76ers coming out on top in a wild game that went into overtime. They now have a 2-1 lead in the season series, and after the game, Embiid threw some shade at the Raptors.
via ClutchPoints:
“But when you play a team like Toronto, they don’t really care. It seems like, most of the time, they don’t care about winning. They just want to shut down the other star players,”
Embiid was referring to the physical defense that the Raptors play and it really hasn’t helped them get many wins this campaign. This loss, in fact, was their sixth in a row, and it looks like this is going to be a lost season for the Raptors. The Sixers, meanwhile, are surging after a wobbly start, and Embiid deserves most of the credit for it.
Joel Embiid Is Making Another Run At MVP
Embiid finished runner-up to Nikola Jokic for the MVP award in each of the last two seasons and he is back in the race for the award this season. He has led the Sixers to five wins in a row and in that time, is averaging 36.8 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 3.6 APG, and 1.6 SPG. His efficiency has been through the roof as well, as he has shot 57.5% from the field, 64.3% from beyond the arc, and 89.8% from the line. He is leading the league in scoring at 33.0 PPG, and it would be a remarkable achievement if he wins the scoring title yet again.
The return of James Harden from injury has also been a big boost, and he has played a significant role in this winning streak as well. Many would have Embiid and Harden as the keys to success for the Sixers, but the big man believes that Tyrese Maxey is their best player. Maxey himself has been out with an injury, and you do wonder just how good the Sixers will be once he returns.
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