Joel Embiid was not his usual self in Game 4 of the Philadelphia 76ers' second round series with the Toronto Raptors. And as it turns out, the Sixers center was feeling under the weather way before the crucial showdown.
The Sixers lost to the Raptors 101-96, allowing the second-seeded Toronto to tie the series at 2-2. Embiid was non-impactful in the game and finished with a pedestrian stat line of 11 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. While he also had a couple of steals and blocks, he was not aggressive throughout the game and attempted just seven shots.
After the game, head coach Brett Brown admitted that Embiid was not feeling well. Brown shared that the All-Star center was not able to sleep the night before, casting doubts over his status for their second home match of the series.
After Game 4 loss to Raptors, Sixers' Brett Brown on Joel Embiid's health (virus): "I got a text from him at 6:20 AM this morning telling me he didn't sleep all night, he really hasn't ever felt this poorly and was unsure if he was going to play." pic.twitter.com/Xb1eEgNhK6
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) May 5, 2019
Embiid put up 33 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and five blocks in their Game 3 victory, so his poor play in Game 4 undoubtedly came as a surprise. It was obvious right from the get-go that he was in poor condition to play.
The 25-year-old had a couple of solid plays, including a sequence wherein he blocked Serge Ibaka and followed it up with an assist on Ben Simmons. However, it didn't last long and he seemed gassed out in the closing stages.