Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers are riding high right now. After a dog fight with the Toronto Raptors in Game 3 of their NBA playoffs series, they came out on top to go up 3-0 in the best-of-seven series. Embiid got retribution on Toronto for Kawhi Leonard's 2019 game-winner by hitting one of his own and putting the Sixers on the brink of closing out the series.
JOEL EMBIID FOR THE WIN 🔥pic.twitter.com/anRfqbDXUl
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 21, 2022
Embiid not only put the Sixers in a great position to win but also stuck it to the narrative that he thrives mostly because of the fouls he draws. Raptors head coach Nick Nurse discussed how the referees allow Embiid to be overly physical, which helped them defeat Toronto badly in the first two games.
After the game, which featured an even distribution of fouls between both the Sixers and Raptors, Embiid addressed the officiating.
Embiid: “They were complaining so much about officiating, so I hope they were happy tonight”
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) April 21, 2022
Embiid ended the game with 33 points and 13 rebounds, both of which were game-highs, on 12-20 shooting. The Sixers superstar was simply great, especially in the third quarter. The Raptors got big games from OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr., who respectively scored 26 and 24 points.
Fanbases on both sides of the series have had their gripes with the officials. Embiid is a lightning rod for discussions about fouls, as is his teammate, James Harden. it will likely follow the Sixers for as long as they are the team's stars. As long as they keep winning in the NBA playoffs, though, the noise won't bother them.
