Joel Embiid was not a happy camper following the Philadelphia 76ers' 128-101 blowout loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. Following the game, the All-Star big man seems to have taken a veiled shot at some of his teammates for their lackluster performance in their second consecutive defeat in this first-round series.
In a statement right after the game, Embiid expressed his frustration, while also adding that he might just have to do even more for his team:
“It would be a different story if we were going back to Philly because we never seem to lose in front of our fans,” via Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. “We got to be more physical than them. We got to keep moving the ball. We just got to keep on going. I guess I got to do more.”
Joel Embiid was actually outstanding on Wednesday, finishing with a game-high 34 points on 11-of-21 shooting, while also adding 10 rebounds, three assists, and a block in 34 minutes of action. The 7-foot big man was also very aggressive in this one, forcing his way to the rim on multiple occasions. Embiid took 13 attempts from the free-throw line, making all but one of them. Clearly, Embiid did his part for the Sixers, which is likely where his frustration is coming from.
This is not the first time Embiid has been rather critical of his team. After losing Game 1, he expressed his desire to get more touches on offense, which might also have been a shot at head coach Brett Brown and his offensive sets.
It seems that the Sixers are nearing an inevitable tipping point. At this point it would no longer be a surprise if they end up making massive changes in their squad in the offseason should they suffer a first-round exit at the hands of the C's.
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