Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was involved in a heated exchange during Saturday night’s Game 7 battle in TD Garden. A member of the Celtics bench refused to give Joel Embiid the ball.
Knowing how unlucky he is in the injury department, and having never conquered the Boston Celtics in the NBA playoffs, Embiid is going to move with a keen sense of urgency. He does not want to waste time retrieving a basketball. The C’s have no intention of making life easy for him, though.
Ball Dispute Leads to Delay of Game
Boston picked up a delay of game violation in the first half when a staff member on the bench refused to hand a dead ball to the Sixers superstar. A struggle ensued before the official quickly intervened and made his ruling. The atmosphere is dripping with drama in this do-or-die matchup, and emotions should only intensify as the teams get deeper into the action.
Embiid’s Impact on the Game
Philly went into halftime with a 55-50 lead versus the Jayson Tatum-less Celtics. Embiid left a massive imprint on the first 24 minutes of play.
The former MVP and five-time All-NBA selection headed into the locker room with a team-high 19 points. He continues to attack Boston’s defense and get to the free-throw line, thereby creating more favorable opportunities for his teammates. When Embiid returned to the court just weeks after undergoing an appendectomy, many people tempered their expectations.
Series Context and Embiid’s Role
The Celtics have gotten the best of the Cameroonian big man several times in the past, and there was little doubt that the same thing would occur again. Although he has endured some offensive struggles, the future Hall of Famer is making a noticeable difference in this first-round series.
Joel Embiid has leaned on Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and VJ Edgecombe at various points since coming back, but he is taking the lead in Game 7. If successful, the 76ers will have overcome a 3-1 deficit and eliminated the Celtics in the playoffs for the first time since 1982.
With the stakes that high, do not be surprised if Embiid gets into another heated exchange with someone on the opposition.