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After being presented with his first career MVP, Joel Embiid’s night was spoiled as the Philadelphia 76ers fell to the Boston Celtics in Game 3 at the Wells Fargo Center.
Embiid was excellent in the 114-102 losing effort at the Wells Fargo Center, pouring in a game-high 30 points to go along with 13 rebounds, three assists and four blocks. But he didn’t get much help to outduel Boston’s duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who combined for 50 points.
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Joel Embiid from the elbow 🎯
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Now, the Sixers find themselves in a 2-1 series hole, and Embiid knows it’ll take a huge effort from everyone in order to unseat the reigning Eastern Conference champions.
“I think players have to show up,” Embiid told reporters after the game.
“There’s no panic. We’ve just got to settle down. We don’t have a lot of time. We’ve got to figure it out. We can’t go down 3-1,” he added later.
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“Players have to show up. … If the players don’t execute … we don’t make shots, that’s on us.”
Joel Embiid after the Sixers’ Game 3 loss pic.twitter.com/ptx8XnIaZS
Never one to hold back, Embiid has been known to hold his fellow stars accountable, as he did with Ben Simmons on several occasions while he was with the team.
Aside from Embiid, no one on the 76ers roster scored more than 16 points.
One of the players who will need to have a big bounce-back performance is James Harden, who finished with just 16 points, 11 assists and five turnovers on a horrific 3-of-14 shooting from the field.
Harden dropped 45 points in Philadelphia’s Game 1 win in Boston without Embiid, but that performance hasn’t translated to the following two losses.
Even with the MVP, the Sixers are going to need their other star to show up if they are going to have any shot at winning the series. Game 4 is Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET in Philadelphia.