Toronto Raptors assistant coach Phil Handy addressed the team after Philadelphia 76ers All-Star big man Joel Embiid’s flying airplane gesture following a windmill dunk in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
The Sixers blew out the Raptors in Game 3, winning by a final score of 116-95. Handy told the Raptors showboating should not be tolerated and that it should make them angry.
The Raptors players heard Handy's message loud and clear, as they won Game 4 in Philadelphia and wound up winning the series in seven games.
Toronto assistant coach Phil Handy — an Oakland native — addressed the team after Game 3 of the semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers for not taking exception to Joel Embiid’s flying airplane gesture after a windmill dunk, sources told Yahoo Sports.
Handy’s postgame message, sources said, was heard loud and clear: showboating would not be tolerated and it should infuriate them.
The Raptors responded. Over the next four games with an uptick in physicality, Embiid’s productivity plummeted as he averaged 15.5 points and shot 37 percent from the field.
This Raptors team, led by superstar small forward Kawhi Leonard, has a new demeanor and toughness to them. In years past, Toronto would fold under pressure in the playoffs and let other teams bully them.
That's not the case this season, though, as the Raptors are one win away from winning their first championship in franchise history. Toronto's new edge has helped them exile their past demons, which will be forgotten forever if the team wins its first NBA championship on Monday night.
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