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Playing through a sprained right knee, Joel Embiid gallantly tried to carry the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 3 against the Boston Celtics. The newly-named MVP finished with 30 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks and three assists but didn't get enough support from his teammates.
Here's what Embiid had to say after the loss to the Celtics:
"I think players have to show up. I gotta do my job. Other guys, everybody knows their role. They have to do their job. Players have to show up. You can make any adjustments you want but if the players don't execute, they don't show up and we don't make shots that's on us.
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"I gotta be better, we all gotta be better. We just haven't been good enough."
James Harden went missing for the second consecutive game in the series. Unsurprisingly, the 76ers lost both games to the defending Eastern Conference champs.
"The Beard" exploded for 45 points in Game 1 to carry Philadelphia to an upset win even without Joel Embiid. Since then, Harden has played terribly.
Harden scored just 16 points on 3-14 shooting, including 2-7 from behind the arc, in Game 3. The former scoring champ has put up just 28 points over his last two games while shooting just 17.9%.
Harden also had 11 assists and six rebounds but also recorded five turnovers in Game 3. On several occasions, he passed up open shots or drive into the lane only to indecisively pass the ball out to a teammate.
"The Beard" has been so passive that even the Philadelphia 76ers fans booed him at different stages of the game. Harden, for one reason or another, seems to have lost his aggressiveness when Joel Embiid is in the lineup.
Tyrese Maxey was another 76er who wilted under the bright lights. The cat-quick point guard finished with 13 points, six rebounds and two assists. He was more aggressive than James Harden but he also couldn't give Embiid the support the MVP needed.
Tobias Harris didn't show up in Game 3 as well. He had seven points, four rebounds and one assist. The Philadelphia 76ers are paying Tobias Harris $37.6 million this season. Joel Embiid and the 76ers will need much more from him.
Joel Embiid continues to suffer against the Boston Celtics
The second-round series between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics is the third time Joel Embiid has faced the Cs in the postseason. After the Game 3 loss, he is now 1-10 against them in the playoffs.
Embiid won one game against them in 2018, also in the semifinals. The Celtics swept him in the first round of the 2020 playoffs.
In 11 postseason games against the team from Beantown, Joel Embiid has averaged 25.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 blocks. It has not been entirely Embiid's fault that he can hardly win against the Celtics.
"The Process" has mostly done his share, but as he lamented after Game 3, other players must do their jobs.
Game 4 will take place on Sunday. If Embiid doesn't get enough contributions from James Harden and crew, the series could be quickly over.
