Getty Sixers center Joel Embiid battles for a loose ball with Mitchell Robinson during their 112-99 loss to New York.
Joel Embiid looked hobbled at times during the Sixers’ 112-99 loss to the New York Knicks. The 7-footer has been dealing with a knee injury to start the season and was listed “questionable” heading into the game. He played 30 minutes and finished with 14 points.
Embiid is never one to make excuses – not after dominating on a torn meniscus in the playoffs – but that gimpy knee is clearly bothering him. Maybe more than he’s been letting on. Embiid vowed to play through the pain in his post-game press conference while admitting that he hasn’t been aggressive enough.
“That’s not an excuse [the knee], but I don’t think I’ve played like this – at least to start the season – at any stretch of my career,” Embiid told reporters. “This is not an excuse but I’m going to keep pushing and hope for the best.”
Embiid; knee, or out of shape?
Avoiding physical play speaks to one, while Rivers playing him, down 20, with four minutes remaining speaks to another.
The runner-up for MVP added that he needed to watch the film to see what he’s been doing wrong. Embiid reached out to his trainer, Drew Hanlen, immediately after the game to ask for his thoughts on how to improve.
“I texted my trainer right after the game I told him, other than the other thing [knee injury] going on, I asked him if I was too passive or if I was just not getting the ball? So I gotta go and watch the film and see what’s going on. But I do think – you can look at the stats even from the previous games – at times I’m too passive.”
“But it’s also I want to get my guys going, I got to give them the confidence to believe in themselves and make shots. That’s been my main priority, kind of figuring out how to come into the season and be a point center. I’m going to keep working at it.”
We’re only four games into the season, but NYK’s win over PHI may have revealed something significant about the group. Talked about that, Tom Thibodeau’s tech & a note on Joel Embiid w/@emacSNY (**NYR fans: Eamon also has a great interview w/Mark Messier)
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Sixers Got Bullied in New York
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has built a reputation for being a hard-nosed, defensive-minded coach. He was Doc Rivers’ top assistant for three seasons in Boston where they won a title together. So the Sixers coach knew better than anyone what he was in store at Madison Square Garden.
I’ve been saying for years that Coach Thibodeau should be given FULL credit for the 2008 Celtics title instead of Doc Rivers, one of the most overrated head coach we’ve seen in our lifetime.
The Knicks were going to battle to the final whistle and try to bully the Sixers for 48 minutes. Which they did. Rivers could see the tide turning at the end of first quarter despite the Sixers holding a three-point lead.
“That was a fool’s gold quarter. I thought New York was so much more physical, pushed us around,” Rivers said. “We didn’t move the ball, the ball stuck, I thought they were so much more physical than us. They pushed us around the entire night.”
Embiid said the Knicks were the most physical team the Sixers have faced this season. And he and his teammates failed to match it.
“I mean, it started on defense. Especially that second quarter,” Embiid said. “They were more physical than us and they got whatever they wanted.”
Tough Night for Tyrese Maxey
The New York fans started a “Where’s Ben Simmons?” chant, one that surely made its way down to the court. Tyrese Maxey has been the fill-in point guard for Simmons through four games. The second-year player has flashed promise – 14.0 points, 3.0 assists per game – but his ascension into the starting five comes with growing pains.
“One, I got to knock down open shots and keep pressuring the ball defensively,” Maxey told reporters. “I think when I pressure the ball I really speed teams up. It helps our defense out.”
Maxey went 3-of-9 from the field against the Knicks and missed all his three-point attempts. He finished with seven points and three assists, with two costly turnovers.
“I got to do a better job of just corralling,” Maxey said. “And when Doc calls the paly, just trying to initiate it and be more assertive with it. It comes with maturity and I feel like I’m getting better and better every single day. And game by game, it’s a long season.”