Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers looked to be in firm control of their second-round series against the Atlanta Hawks after Game 3. But after two massive choke jobs in Games 4 and 5, things have gotten downright nightmarish for the Sixers in a hurry.

In their Game 4 collapse, there were a million and one things that played into the Sixers' demise. But above all, one play from their All-Star center Joel Embiid stood out.

With the Atlanta Hawks committing a costly turnover on the other end, the Sixers had one final possession to crush their furious comeback and leave the state of Georgia up three games to one. Coach Doc Rivers drew up a simple yet lethal play call that got them the exact look they wanted. Tobias Harris go the inbounds pass at the top of the key and ran a high pick and roll with Joel Embiid as the screener.

The Sixers got exactly what they wanted. Joel Embiid, the runner-up to the MVP award this season, catching the ball going downhill towards the basket. But on the shot for all the marbles, Embiid came up short.

The Hawks were able to capitalize on the other end, with Trae Young converting two free-throws which served as the final points scored for the evening. The Sixers' All-Star center spoke out about the ensuing play, citing that his knee indeed hampered him from getting up a proper finish at the rim.

Via ESPN:

ā€œEven before I went back to the locker room I felt like I didnā€™t have it,ā€ Embiid said.

Embiid is playing with torn cartilage in his right knee.

ā€œI guess itā€™s already known,ā€ Embiid said, confirming the knee was what caused him to leave the bench. ā€œThereā€™s no need to explain myself anymore. Iā€™m just trying to do the best I can.ā€

Joel Embiid is obviously injured and not playing at 100%. That fact is not up for debate. But his underperformance in the playoffs has been a longstanding issue with the Sixers big man. Despite being such a dominant force down low, Embiid had shot just 43.6% from the field in 23 playoff games prior to this season. He's been a spectacular regular season performer in previous years, then crumbles when the games start to matter in the postseason.

In 19 post-season games and against 4 different playoff opponents, Joel Embiid has shot just 43% from the field. His points per post up possession drops from his elite regular season averageĀ of 1.05 last season,Ā to just 0.84 PPP for his playoff career.

He's looked considerably better in these playoffs, raising his shooting average to a sterling 52.3% from the field after his first eight games. But Embiid is first and foremost a post-up player. Relying on a back-to-the-basket big has proved difficult in late-game situations, which has been extra visible juxtaposed against a jitterbug star scorer in Trae Young, who can slither into good looks late with floaters and slick handles. As cliche as it sounds, this issue is also further amplified playing alongside a talented, yet offensively impaired ball-handler in Ben Simmons.

Joel Embiid bounced back in a big way in Game 5, putting up 37 points and 13 rebounds, with five assists, two steals, and four blocks. The All-Star and his Sixers were well on their way to erasing that ugly Game 4 collapse and establishing a firm lead on the series up three games to two. This loss was far from being purely on Embiid's shoulders, with both Simmons and Tobias Harris rendered ineffective in supporting him. But the end result for Joel Embiid remains the same.

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Despite going up by as many as 26 points, they squandered it entirely in a matter of 12 minutes in the fourth quarter. The defeat was a historic one, which cements further the playoff woes of not just Embiid, but also their new head coach Doc Rivers.

The Sixers had a last gasp of air when Trae Young missed a potential dagger on the other side of the floor. Joel Embiid, who was having a spectacular evening going 11-for-11 from the free-throw line, drew two foul shots to cut into their three-point deficit with just 10.9 seconds left in the contest. Despite performing so well in the contest, Embiid couldn't eradicate his playoff failures by preventing the collapse, and at least giving his Sixers a shot to steal the game right back.

Joel Embiid and the Sixers are still very much alive in this one. They've managed to impose their will on the Hawks for long stretches of the series. But until Joel Embiid can overcome the playoff monkey on his back, this team can only go as far as he can carry them.