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Joel Embiid's return to the court did just what it needed to do for the Philadelphia 76ers. The MVP finalist fought through facial and thumb injuries to give his team a new life with their backs against the wall. The Sixers. defeated the Miami Heat in Game 3 of their second-round NBA playoff series.
Embiid tallied 18 points and a game-high 11 rebounds to help the Sixers secure the 99-70 victory in front of the home crowd. Despite being a key contributor to the victory, Embiid showed signs of fatigue throughout the contest, which were understandable given his injuries. When contesting shots, he swiped down at the ball often rather than stand tall. He also had a few bad misses on his jump shots.
After the game, Embiid told reporters that he indeed did not have much energy to start the game. He also added that his mere presence helped out the Sixers, and he was spot on. Miami's offense collapsed outside of a 33-point outing for Jimmy Butler, as the Heat were unable to get as many close shots as they were in previous games.
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Embiid: "I didn't think I had a lot of energy [to start the game], honestly. I was really trying to get through it, and kinda just use my presence out there as a decoy. I feel like what I pride myself on is really defensively, and I feel that's where my presence is really felt."
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) May 7, 2022
Sixers head coach Doc Rivers commended Embiid for his improved conditioning coming into the season. If the big fella hadn't made that improvement, he may not have been able to go for as long as he did against the Heat. His impact was felt on both sides of the ball and Philadelphia saved its chances of winning the series.
Game 4 will take place in Philadelphia on Sunday. Although there is still a lot of work to do, Joel Embiid returning from injury put the Sixers in a spot to tie up the series and keep fighting in the NBA playoffs.
