Few games in the history of Philadelphia 76ers basketball have been as exciting as last night’s matchup between the Sixers and the Raptors. In a game that was initially dominated by Toronto, the 76ers stormed back to even up the game late and even force overtime.
In the second half, the tide was clearly beginning to turn for Philadelphia, but the team was not out of the woods yet. Despite their impressive second half, the Sixers did not hold the lead for even a second until overtime. The overtime period itself was no cakewalk either, as the Sixers had to power through without James Harden, who picked up his sixth foul in the final minute of the fourth quarter.
It was one of the most hard-fought victories in 76ers history Wednesday that ended with one of the greatest shots in team history.
The Shot Heard Round the NBA
After a terrible closing possession to finish regulation, Joel Embiid took one more whack at playing the hero, and the result will forever be remembered in the City of Brotherly Love.
With less than a second remaining on the shot clock Joel Embiid once again put the entire team on his back and sealed the win for the 76ers. This is the first time in 25 years that a center has hit a game-winning three in the last 25 seasons. What more can Joel Embiid prove at this point? He has, without a doubt, been the most valuable player in the NBA this season.
While the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award may be out of reach — due to ridiculous NBA politics — Joel Embiid seems to have a new task on his mind. If he cannot win the regular-season MVP award, then he’ll just have to win the NBA Finals MVP.
The Philadelphia 76ers will remain in Toronto until Saturday afternoon when they attempt to complete the sweep of the Raptors. Judging by Joel Embiid’s level of play this series, they could very well accomplish that feat.
The Sixers are currently three point favorites while the total sits at 213.5 for Saturday’s matchup. It’s very likely that afternoon’s game shares the defensive intensity of game three.
