“We’re going to win this series”: Joel Embiid remains confident after Sixers trail 2-0 to Knicks

The New York Knicks have come through all the criticisms thrown at them and proved once again that they’re no pushovers as they took a 2-0 lead over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 of their playoff series. On the flip side, the Sixers, who displayed dominance after reuniting with their ace Joel Embiid, have fallen short in their post-season battle. However, even after facing two straight losses, Embiid remains confident about clinching the series.

Following Monday night’s 104-101 loss, the Cameroonian center said in a post-game interview, “We should be 2–0, so we’re good. We’re going to win this series. We’re going to win this. We know what we’ve got to fix, we did a better job today, so we’re going to fix it. We’re the better team and we’re going to keep fighting.”

The Sixers had the grip in the opening and final quarters. However, they failed to defend their lead and ended the night with a loss. Joel Embiid dropped a masterclass with his double-double, 34 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Tyrese Maxey narrowly missed a triple-double, scoring a game-high 35 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Although Embiid’s faith in his team is commendable, his body language while rallying the troops brought him under scrutiny.

Joel Embiid criticized over body language

With a few seconds remaining in the game when the Sixers were leading by two points, they called for a time-out, but it was ignored. Tyrese Maxey was then fouled by Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, but the call was missed by the game official, which led to a late bucket by Donte DiVincenzo.

Expressing a grudge over the matter, Joel Embiid criticized the officials for missing the fouls and not giving time out. He called it “f–ing unacceptable.” While giving out the statement, the 7-time All-Star had put his head down, which annoyed NBA analyst Charles Barkley.

“He’s the leader of the team… He’s one of the best players in the world… As a leader of the team, he cannot have his head down,” unimpressed with his body language, Barkley said. The Sixers’ center faced backlash from the NBA community too for his action.

Embiid will lead the Sixers in Game 3 on Thursday, when they will look to make the home advantage count at the Wells Fargo Center. It will be fascinating to see whether or not the Sixers can come back stronger living up to Joel Embiid’s expectations.