Getty Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid
The Philadelphia 76ers made a statement during Game 3 on their home floor against the Toronto Raptors. After stealing Game 2 of the second-round 2019 NBA Playoff series, the Sixers hit the ground running in the first half of Thursday’s game. After jumping out to an 11-point lead against the Raptors at halftime, they proceeded to run away with the game in the fourth quarter.
And roughly midway through the final frame, Joel Embiid had a statement-making slam in the form of a windmill, which all but sealed the win, as The Render showed.
A windmill dunk is impressive when anyone does it, but when it’s a 7-foot center who’s apparently dealing with knee tendonitis? It goes to another level. Embiid not only showcased his dominance in this game but also his athleticism by throwing down a dunk which most big men certainly can’t do.
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Here’s another look at the scene which sent Sixers fans and the entire arena into a frenzy, courtesy of the Sixers official Twitter.
It’s @joelembiid’s world, we’re just living in it.
Joel Embiid’s Dominant Performance in Game 3 Win Over Raptors
With the Sixers taking Game 2 in Toronto and now grabbing a 2-1 series lead, they have a chance to hold homecourt advantage if they defeat Kawhi Leonard and company in Game 4. But after having hit-or-miss moments over the first two games, Embiid was a key reason for Philly’s dominant victory on Thursday.
Embiid logged just 28 minutes but scored 33 points with 10 rebounds and five blocks. He shot 9-of-18 from the field and made all but one of his 13 free throw attempts. The Sixers outscored the Raptors by 13 in the fourth quarter to seal the deal and went on to pick up a 116-95 win.
It’s worth noting that Embiid was dealing with an illness prior to Game 2 and nearly didn’t play in that matchup. It wound up as his lowest-scoring performance (12 points) of the playoffs and most modest stat line. The 25-year-old big man had just six rebounds during that 94-89 win, his lowest mark since October 29 against the Atlanta Hawks when he had six as well.
Sixers’ Impressive Bounceback Wins Over Raptors
There’s no sugarcoating the fact that the Raptors rolled past the Sixers in Game 1. They won that game 108-95 and were up by nine at half and 11 at the end of the third quarter. Kawhi Leonard was able to do virtually anything he wanted, scoring 45 points with 11 rebounds while shooting 16-of-23 from the field.
Although Leonard has still posted strong stat lines in the two games to follow, his field goal percentage was at least held under 60 percent, compared to nearly 70 percent in the first game. But the biggest difference for the Sixers was both their ability to knock down shots and also hold multiple other key Raptors players in check.
In Game 2, the Sixers held the Raptors bench to just five total points. Although Toronto’s second-unit scored 15 points in Game 3, only 11 of them were from players in the regular rotation. Beyond that, Kyle Lowry scored just seven points on 2-of-10 shooting while posting a -28 net rating in Thursday’s game.
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WATCH: Joel Embiid Throws Down Massive Windmill Dunk vs. Raptors