With the NBA calendar in its normal quiet period, now felt like a good time to talk about some of Joel Embiid’s best playoff performances with the Sixers entering yet another season in which a deep playoff run will be the expectation. We’ve made a list of Embiid’s five best playoff games and will roll them out for you to debate and discuss if said game belongs on our list and what your memories are from that particular game. Without further ado, let’s dive in with Game 3 against the Toronto Raptors
in the 2019 second round.
Final Score: Sixers 116, Raptors 95
Series score after result: Philadelphia leads 2-1
Embiid’s stat line: 33 points, 10 rebounds, 9-of-18 FGs, 3-of-4 from three, 5 blocks, 3 assists, +31 rating
Perhaps it’s a bit odd that up until this point, 2019, Embiid’s second year in the playoffs, was arguably his best chance at winning a championship. There’s an equally strong argument to be made for 2023, a year in which the Sixers lost to the then-defending Eastern Conference Champion Celtics in seven games in the second round. But the Sixers took the eventual champions to a seventh game in 2019 and it was thanks in large part to performances like the one Embiid had in Game 3.
After Embiid had missed the first two seasons of his career entirely, and played sparingly in the 2016-17 season, the Sixers were coming off of a 2018 postseason in which they won a round and played the rival Celtics in the second round. They weren’t ready to contend for a championship just yet in 2018, but there was a sense that they were getting closer in 2019.
The team had acquired Jimmy Butler during the 2018-19 regular season and seemed poised for a deeper playoff run than the one they went on in 2018. The Sixers eliminated Brooklyn in five quick games in the first round and the widely-held belief entering the Raptors series was that it was going to be a war. Philly was returning home after grinding out a 94-89 Game 2 win in Toronto to leave Canada with a split of the first two games in the series. Therefore, with the franchise seemingly building momentum and the necessary split having been secured on the road, the vibes surrounding the Sixers were high.
Philly would lead by three after one and by 11 at halftime. Embiid was already well on his way to a special night just 24 minutes into the game as he had 18 points, seven rebounds and made both of his attempts from beyond the three-point line. He continued to stand out on both ends of the floor and capped the night with the signature play below.
Say what you want about Embiid’s lack of availability over the years, but there’s no doubt the guy was and still is an entertainer and his personality can make anyone like him. This was certainly a moment in which both Embiid and the Sixers were very popular in Philadelphia and many fans were feeling optimistic about the direction of the franchise thanks in large part to how dominant Embiid looked offensively and defensively.
