Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid could not conceal his frustration on Monday night despite his earlier boast that his team was superior to the Knicks. This frustration stemmed from a heartbreaking Game 2 loss that put the Knicks ahead 2-0 in the first-round NBA playoff series. Ex-76er and TNT analyst Charles Barkley expressed his disappointment with Embiid’s perceived lack of leadership following Philadelphia’s 104-101 defeat.
Barkley emphasized the need for Embiid to maintain a positive demeanor, particularly as the team’s leader. He stated, ‘As the leader of the team, he cannot have his head down. He’s got to say, ‘Guys, we’re fine. They did what they supposed to do. Now, we gotta go home and win Game 3 and 4.’
Embiid’s post-game comments were laced with frustration, as he criticized the referees for failing to call a foul during the inbounds play. He exclaimed, ‘But forget about the timeouts. There was a bunch of fouls. Like I said, that’s f—king unacceptable,’ while holding his head and scratching his eyes.
The 76ers’ dissatisfaction extended beyond Embiid’s comments, as the team filed a complaint with the league over the officiating. However, the TNT crew pointed out that Philadelphia should have called timeout immediately after Jalen Brunson’s 3-pointer hit the front iron and reduced the Sixers’ lead to 101-99.
Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal suggested that an immediate timeout should have been called once Brunson’s 3-pointer took an unusual bounce. Barkley stated, ‘Call timeout right now,’ as Nurse had still not yet motioned for time, despite Kyle Lowry looking to pass to Maxey.
There was subsequent debate regarding whether the Knicks fouled Maxey during the inbounds play. Shaq deemed the play ‘subjective’ and asserted that Maxey should not have been ‘flailing and falling’ during such a crucial play. ‘When you get the ball on the side, you can’t be flailing and flopping around looking for the bell,’ Shaq said. ‘Did he get fouled? Maybe. But still, you got to get it and hold it.’
The 76ers will have another opportunity to turn things around in Philadelphia on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Embiid will肩负the responsibility of leading his team in a must-win game as they seek to avoid falling into a deeper hole in the series.
