Philadelphia 76ers former MVP heart Joel Embiid was benched on Saturday.
He sat out all the last quarter of the Sixers’ newest blunder, a Saturday 105-103 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on a buzzer-beater put-back from heart Nic Claxton.
Following the loss, Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse stated Embiid is “not himself.”
“He’s not certainly the guy we’re used to seeing play at a super high level. But I commend him for giving us what he can,” Nurse added.
Explaining the benching, Nurse stated, “That group was just playing so well together and had a good feel for the game at that point and just wanted to let them roll with it.”
Philadelphia trailed by double figures at halftime and later by 17 factors earlier than forcing a tie with seconds remaining.
Nevertheless, the shut loss meant Philly dropped their seventh straight contest.
Embiid, who completed with simply 14 factors, seven rebounds and 5 assists in opposition to Brooklyn, shot 4-for-13 from the sector and missed all six of his 3-point makes an attempt.
Embiid has just lately lent voice to him not being in his truest type, most notably after the Sixers 124-104 loss at house to the Boston Celtics on Thursday, their first sport following the All-Star break.
“The way I was playing a year ago is not the way I’m playing right now,” stated the 2023 MVP final week. “I probably need to fix the problem, and then I’ll be back at that level.”
The loss dropped the Sixers to 20-36 this season because the now sit twelfth within the Japanese Convention.
As of now, they’re 1.5 video games out of the play-in event, and a sport behind the Nets, who defeated them this weekend.
