“I didn’t think I was very good tonight” -Embiid after 33-point performance
The NBA’s 2023 MVP Joel Embiid has high standards for himself and was disappointed in his performance in the Sixers Game 5 win over the Celtics.
Imagine being so good at basketball that a game in which you put up 33 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and four blocked shots is disappointing to you. That’s the standard to which the NBA’s MVP Joel Embiid holds himself. In the Philadelphia 76ers’ 115-103 Game 5 win over the Boston Celtics, Embiid said he “didn’t think I was very good tonight”, albeit with a bit of a laugh.
Embiid leads Sixers to key Game 5 victory
The Game 5 win was key for the Sixers, as it gave them a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. They are now just one win away from advancing to the Conference finals.
In the fourth quarter, the Sixers were up by 21 points and Embiid ended the game as the lead scorer with 33 points. This was his third straight 30-point game in the series, and though they won by 12 points, Embiid still isn’t satisfied with either his performance or the win.
“What we did tonight, it’s easier said than done. But we have to do it again,” Embiid said. “I didn’t think I was very good tonight. I did miss a lot of easy ones that I usually make. That’s the standard I have for myself.”
The Sixers shot 50% from the field, 40% from the three-point range, and limited the Celtics to 39.8% shooting overall and 12-for-38 from the three-point range.
“I thought defensively, as a team, we did a pretty good job,” said Embiid. “We limited three-point opportunities and we contested every one of them. They didn’t have a lot of wide open looks.”
The Sixers can close out the series with a win in their Game 6 matchup with the Celtics at home on Thursday night.