Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid didn't buy himself any points amongst fans for his performance at the end of the 97-92 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday. While the 2023 MVP finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and three steals, his late-game gaffe may unfortunately be the most-remembered part of his outing amongst Sixers fandom.
With Philadelphia down four and about 27 seconds remaining, Embiid missed a critical layup to seal his team's fate, via Sportsville.
Embiid scored just 1 point on 0-for-5 shooting in the fourth quarter, to go with seven turnovers and five fouls. The crunch-time collapse is a big reason why the Sixers now find themselves down 3-1 to the Knicks in this Eastern Conference Quarterfinals matchup.
Will Embiid and Philadelphia be able to recover from this? Or does this spell yet another disappointing ending for this tortured fanbase?
Joel Embiid couldn't carry the 76ers when it mattered most
The rough fourth quarter is understandable, considering that Embiid's simultaneously recovering from Bell's Palsy and a meniscus injury. However, superstars are held to the highest of standards whenever they take the floor. If they're healthy enough to play, they're expected to produce, especially in clutch moments at the end of games.
To make matters worse, Embiid's been shrinking in the fourth quarter all series. The seven-time All-Star is shooting just 3-of-18 in the final period through the first four games.
Fans are starting to catch on, too. Embiid has been getting roasted online since that fateful moment at the end of the contest. Several memes and videos have been posted at the Kansas alum's expense, via X.
Now, Philadelphia is tasked with beating New York three consecutive times to keep its season alive. Only 13 teams have completed the 3-1 comeback in NBA Playoff history, with the Denver Nuggets the only squad to do so this decade.
Game 4 was a microcosm of what separates stars like Jalen Brunson from Embiid. Brunson scored a franchise-playoff record 47 points to go with 10 assists and just one turnover. 9 of those points came in the final period, which was crucial towards the victory.
While Embiid may have superior regular-season numbers, players are most remembered for how they performed in the playoffs. The 30-year-old already has fewer signature postseason moments than Brunson, who's three years his junior and only became an upper-echelon player last season.
At this point, it's hard not to wonder about Embiid's future with the Sixers. The eighth-year veteran has never been able to lead the squad past the second round of the playoffs, despite being one of the best players in the league for a large portion of his career. It may be time for both parties to get a fresh start sooner rather than later.
Injury-plagued seasons non-withstanding, there's no excuse for getting consistently outperformed in the biggest moments. Joining a new team could provide Embiid with the mental reset that he needs to finally become a clutch performer in the playoffs. If he doesn't leave, he could be in danger of suffering from stagnation as history continues to repeat itself.
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