It’s almost reassuring for the Sixers… Rarely have we seen Joel Embiid also borrowed in attack. His first quarter was mediocre, and the rest was frankly not fun with nine lost balls and a 7 out of 19 on shots. But the Sixers are still alive after their victory in Game 5, and the Cameroonian has completely signed the first triple-double of his career in the playoffs!
With 19 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists, he ultimately had a huge impact on the game. Focused on defense, he blocked five shots, and he made the Knicks think twice before going to the rim. It's also him who steals the ball from Jalen Brunson's hands in the middle of overtime, before going for a basket with the foul. As if he had saved the best for last with 48 minutes in his legs.
However, the 2023 MVP was not sure of playing since he had missed the “shootaround” due to migraines. One more problem as he plays with a painful knee and a little facial paralysis.
“There is nothing hostile… I love New York”
And then, we are in New York, and his fault on Mitchell Robinson and his latest statements were obviously not yet digested. The New York Post even headlined, roughly, “The Most Hated Man in New York.”
Nothing to trouble him, and with victory helping, he enjoys it. “There’s nothing hostile…I love New York. It's one of my favorite cities, and I've had a home there for five years. I just love New York. And when we play here, the fans always have one player in their sights, and it seems to be me. It's fun and I love it. »
And how does he explain this awkwardness, and the fact that the Sixers have always believed in it? “ It's a confidence thing… The Knicks had a game plan, and that was to take two on me on every possession. I've lost a lot of balls, but I like to do the right thing. At times we missed a lot of open shots, but we told ourselves they were good shots. We continued to believe in it because we still had opportunities, and these shots allowed us to stay in the rhythm. As long as you shoot, you keep pace, and we knew we would have other opportunities. »
