Joel Embiid is the beating heart of the Philadelphia 76ers, as the team will only go as far in the playoffs as he can lead them as their best player. He and James Harden both showed up to help the 76ers win Game 4 and ties the series against Boston at 2-2.
PJ Tucker revealed that he had to give Embiid an impassioned pep talk to help him find his aggression in Game 4.
“Nobody can guard Jo one on one, there’s no way. I’m sorry, it’s not any disrespect to Al or anybody else, but I’ve guarded him for a lot of years, and when he’s aggressive and assertive, it’s impossible, and I saw him two plays in a row not do that. And we can’t have that. We can’t have that. Not with the season on the line, we can’t have that.”
Here’s the full PJ Tucker quote on his fourth quarter pep talk to Joel Embiid and what incited it. Good stuff: https://t.co/EY5qf0cUB3 pic.twitter.com/YAvSAmbUoN
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) May 7, 2023
Embiid ended the game with 34 points and 13 rebounds in an incredible showing, but James Harden outshone him with 42 points and the game-winning bucket to clinch the win in OT. This was the best case for the 76ers, as they head back to the TD Garden in Boston for Game 5.
Can The 76ers Win This Series?
It is obvious that the 76ers are the underdogs in this series given the strength of the Celtics roster and their consistency throughout the season. Philly have found weak points in the way the Celtics play and have pounced on it for both their wins. Picking up two more wins will be extremely challenging but the 76ers have shown they can do it.
Joel Embiid is the best player on the floor in the series, even better than Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. If James Harden doesn’t keep disappearing, Embiid needs to take over the rest of the series and take advantage of a hurt Robert Williams to try and win the series. If Embiid stays locked in, they can do it.
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