Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid is expected to make headlines again after proclaiming that he is the best defensive player in the league.
Embiid spoke about the defensive strategy of the Sixers in their Game 5 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, and the superstar center said that his teammates are funneling offensive players to him. He said that his role is to do his job as the best defender in the league.
“Usually the game plan is to drive all these guys to me and let me do my job as the best defensive player in the league,” Embiid said, via Ben Golliver of The Washington Post. “If that's the game plan, those guys gotta do their best as far as containing the ball, and I've got their back.”
Curiously, Joel Embiid had no blocks in Game 5, but he tallied six in Game 4 and five in Game 1. In their latest outing, the 25-year-old superstar finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds in just 20 minutes, leading Philadelphia to a 122-100 victory over the Nets to end their 2019 NBA Playoffs first-round series.
Ben Simmons ended up with 13 points on top of six assists and five rebounds, while Tobias Harris and JJ Redick added 12 and 11 points, respectively. James Ennis and Jonathan Simmons combined for 21 markers off the bench for Philadelphia, who shot 51 percent from the field as a team with 14 3-pointers.
The Sixers move on to the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs, where they will collide with the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors, who are the second seed in the East, closed out their first-round series with a 115-96 Game 5 victory against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night.
Follow Us
Subscribe