The Team USA men's basketball squad pulled off a thrilling 95-91 victory over Nikola Jokic and Serbia on Thursday. The USA received a much-needed scoring display from Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry. However, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was just as vital down the stretch for the team. Thus, Embiid's triumphant effort is going viral on social media.
Joel Embiid finished the game with 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting. Here are some noteworthy reactions from fans on X (formerly Twitter):
“All of you need to apologize to Embiid,” one fan commented.
Another fan went as far as boasting Embiid's dominant late-game performance against Nikola Jokic, saying Embiid was his “proud father.”
Here are a few comical reactions praising Embiid's efforts:
Joel Embiid was not the only one making an impact on Thursday.
Stephen Curry led Team USA with a whopping 36 points. He made a three-pointer with less than two minutes remaining in the game that helped give his team the momentum. Furthermore, LeBron James recorded an impressive 16-point-12-rebound-10-assist triple-double. James and the rest of his teammates' efforts helped Team USA overcome Serbia's first-half double-digit lead, punching their ticket to the championship round of the Olympics.
Serbia battled until the end despite their collapse. Nikola Jokic finished the game with 17 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds. Meanwhile, Bogdan Bogdanovic led Serbia with 20 points.
Fans were on the edge of their seats watching Joel Embiid's matchup against Jokic. Embiid won the 2022-23 NBA MVP award, just edging Jokic, who was a two-time award winner. Jokic got the last laugh in 2023-24 though, winning his third honor after helping the Nuggets to another top finish in the Western Conference. Jokic and Denver won the 2023 NBA Finals, but Embiid has yet to make a deep playoff run.
Perhaps Embiid's Olympic momentum will carry over to the 76ers in the Fall.
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