When it’s all said and done the only thing the Sixers care about is that their NBA first round playoff series with the Toronto Raptors is 3-0 in their favor. Everything else is window dressing.
For the Philadelphia 76ers it has not been easy as last night it took a massive Joel Embiid OT buzzer-beater to defeat the Raptors 104-101. Now the Sixers are one win away from a clean sweep and advancement to the next round.
For MVP candidate Joel Embiid, who has shined all season, it was yet another showcase of his talents and the end of the discussion that he is too physical on his opponents with a quality shot. Here is what Joel Embiid had to say in regard to the officiating of the Sixers- Raptors series.
Joel Embiid on refs of the Sixers – Raptors series
Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the net against Chris Boucher #25 and Precious Achiuwa #5 of the Toronto Raptors(Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
Joel Embiid had 33 points in Game 3 and had time to “stick it” to Raptor mega fan rapper Drake telling him “I’m coming for the sweep too.” All of this comes within the sentiment that the Sixers’ star has been getting too physical with his opponents.
The reality is both fan bases have had their issues with the referees in the series, but it was Raptors head coach Nick Nurse who stated that the officials allow Embiid to be overly physical, which hindered his team during the series.
Embiid shrugged off talks of that by stating “They were complaining so much about officiating, so I hope they were happy tonight”, after stats of the game were made official and the distribution of fouls were even.
For the Sixers it’s now about winning one more game, for the Raptors it’s about surviving and hoping for a miracle. If the Sixers advance, they would take on the winner of the series between the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks. Miami has a series lead of 2-0.
