Draymond Green has been there and done that in the NBA postseason. He has played in three NBA Finals and won two titles, and his team is favored to make another run this year. Joel Embiid, on the other hand, has not.
This marks JoJo’s first postseason appearance. Thus far, he has been great. His team leads Miami 3-1, and Joel has averaged 18.5 points, 4.0 blocks (!), 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. After missing the first two games while recovering from a broken orbital bone, Embiid has played in Games 3-4 with a black face mask.
After Game 1, in which Philly cruised to a 27-point win, Draymond hit up Joel with some advice.
“Draymond texted me after the first game when we blew Miami out,” Embiid said Monday, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia. “He basically told me that it’s not going to be the same in Game 2. They came back and they won that game.”
As Joel noted, Miami came back with a vengeance in Game 2. The Heat won, 113-103, to tie the series. The young Sixers have taken the last two, and thus are 2-0 with Joel in the lineup.
Embiid Comes Home
Embiid saw what Philly was like for Games 1-2. He is excited to make his home playoff debut Tuesday.
“The atmosphere was amazing, it was insane,” Embiid said. “After going to Miami, I felt like nothing compared to it…We’ve been almost perfect [at home] since the beginning of the year. It just shows you how much we need them. Especially myself, I play better in that type of environment. I need the fans to get into it and push me. That makes me elevate my game.”
With the Raptors and Cavaliers looking vulnerable, many are speculating the Sixers have a shot in the East.
“A lot of people say that we have a bright future, but I think our time is now,” Embiid said. “We have a pretty good chance. We have a special team, a lot of great guys. I don’t think we need anybody else. We’ve just got to work with what we have, and we have a special team. I feel like we have a pretty good chance to go far.”
Philly can close out its series Tuesday. The game is set for 8 p.m. EST on TNT.
