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PHILADELPHIA – The process continues.
Joel Embiid was eliminated against the Philadelphia 76ers and won a 112-101 win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday and imposed a decisive game in the Eastern Conference semifinal.
After losing points to Philadelphia defeats in games 4 and 5 when the Sixers were late in the 3-2 series, Embiid looked like they had not completely shaken their upper respiratory tract infection during the first half of match 6.
He was 1-in-8 from the field, and while the Sixers were 15 points clear at the break, he had not left his mark on the match.
Then the third quarter came. Embiid scored 10 points on shots 3-for-5, six rebounds and two blocks – both on Kawhi Leonard – and played 11 of 12 minutes. The Sixers were leading by 20 before the fourth quarter, and they were about to win a playoff division and accept the return fitness of their all-star player.
"Enter, knowing it was a do-it-yourself situation," said Embiid, "I knew I had to enter with high morale … That's what I have to keep doing – doing the little things and everything go follow. "
Embiid finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds in 36 minutes (at most, he played in a playoff match), as well as a plus-minus-plus-40, the best mark of a player in the playoffs this season.
"It's the playoffs," said Embiid. "I had to play, if I had to play 45 minutes and put myself up to it, that's what I had to do, if that's what it takes to win, if my presence on the field is necessary, I have to to be there, it does not matter if it takes all the game, and it suits me.
"I'm going to keep pushing myself, and in the seventh game we'll need it, I'm going to have to be in the field, and I'm going to be ready for anything, if I have to play thoroughly Game. "
Recognizing the pressure his team suffered on Thursday, Sixers coach Brett Brown – who has heard loudly and loudly the expectation of his owner to advance further than the second round – said that the lor state of mind was obvious.
"The atmosphere in the locker room as we were going through some kind of shooting early – our version of the shoot – before you could feel the serious side," Brown said. "They have the moment."
"What he did today was one of the reasons he was All-Star NBA at 22, as the NBA's point guard with the ball," said Brown. . "I really liked his turnovers, and his offensive rebounds.I thought that these two things, among all the comments I just made, are what stands out the most. evolution of a 22-year-old player, 6- 10 point guard [who] was a college man 4. "
Simmons and Embiid – the two young tempting talents from Philadelphia who often receive so much criticism for their inconveniences (Simmons' shooting shortage and Embiid's broken body) to their praise for their talents – were complimented on Thursday.
"It's such a force.It attracts a lot of attention so we can play," Simmons told Embiid. "He's doing well for the circumstances in which he ended up."
They will play again on Sunday with a chance to bring the Sixers franchise to the conference finals for the first time in 18 years.
"Basketball is fun," said Embiid. "I understand that it 's match 7, but I have to come in and fight – as we did tonight." Our back was on the line tonight, "I said. feeling that our back is always on the line, so we just have to do the same thing. "
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