PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers star big man Joel Embiid has received a lot of criticism during his time in the league. He had to battle through a ton of injuries and had to do his best to be able to play for the team every night.
He was outstanding in Thursday’s 124-117 win over the Miami Heat, scoring 26 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in 31 minutes of playing time. He only played 6 minutes and 19 seconds in the fourth quarter and was on the bench until the last 67 seconds of the game. However, Embiid scored a dagger 3-pointer with 29.2 seconds left in the game to equalize the score for the 76ers.
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After the game, head coach Nick Nurse explained that they wanted to keep Embiid to around 30 minutes before coming back to finish the game. He spent the entire night scratching his shoulders and ribs because it was clear something was bothering him, but he still stepped up and hit a late shot to end the fight.
“I think that says a lot,” rookie VJ Edgecombe said of Embiid. “That says a lot. The media was trying to make it look like he didn’t want to play basketball. I mean, come on. He was in pain on the court, but he made a big shot at the end of the game. Like, he could barely raise his right hand.”
In Edgecomb’s view, Embiid has done everything he can to ensure that he can play on the court for the 76ers. He has dealt with issues with both knees and just about every other ailment one can think of on the court.
Criticism was rampant. Edgecombe has none of that.
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“It also shows his character,” Edgecomb concluded. “He cares about winning. This is Joel. This is Joel Embiid, man. That’s what we’re talking about right now. I know they’re trying to paint a bad picture of him, but it’s not true, man. I’m going to say this. It’s not true. It’s not true. He wants to play, he wants to do the best for the team and whatever’s best for him.”
Embiid and the 76ers will face the Boston Celtics on Sunday as they look to keep their three-game winning streak alive.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wired: Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe sends message about big man Joel Embiid
