Joel Embiid took over again and led the Philadelphia 76ers to a 3-0 series lead over the Toronto Raptors. Not only did he dominate with 33 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block on 60% shooting but he also knocked down the game-winner in overtime.
Embiid made sure to step up amid James Harden's shooting woes and the Raptors were much better at defending him without fouling. None of that mattered, as the MVP candidate proved why he's one of the best on Earth.
Even so, one of the biggest moments of the night didn't even come on the hardwood but on the sidelines. Embiid reached out to Hip Hop superstar and Raptors superfan Drake, and let him have a piece of his mind.
Drake Trash-Talked Embiid, So He Clapped Back
"You better get your *ss up, I'm coming for the sweep, too," said Embiid after the game.
"He can't play here," Drake told Embiid during the game, per Tobias Harris. He clearly was trying to get into his head after the Raptors beat them in the 2019 playoffs. Needless to say, JoJo wasn't going to let that one go.
Charles Barkley Says Embiid Is The Closest Thing To Shaquille O'Neal And Hakeem Olajuwon
Embiid continues to draw praise and turn heads around the Association. He's become a dominant force down low and his elite footwork reminiscences of a breed of players some thought were extinct:
“He’s the closest thing to Shaq or Hakeem in the millennium," Barkley said after the game. "He is unstoppable, so you have to double him or foul him in the box. At the end of the game, you can’t foul him either because he can shoot free throws."
"They’re backing off, so you have to double him, which is going to leave other guys open," Barkley added. "You have to either double or he scores. I don’t know why they gave him the ball there (at the top of the key) and they’re really fortunate because it could have been 2 to 1.”
The Sixers are now on the verge of moving forward to the second round. And while Harden continues to underperform, they'll have a shot for as long as Embiid stays healthy and keeps playing this way.
