Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid has garnered a lot of headlines in their first-round series against the New York Knicks in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. He has earned plenty of praise for playing through pain in his knee, as he isn’t close to 100 percent healthy. Embiid is also dealing with a minor case of Bell’s Palsy, another challenge to overcome.
But, he has also garnered attention for the dirty tactics he has brought to the court. His dominance has been overshadowed by some of the plays, which have drawn one Flagrant-1 upgrade and could have been upgraded on several other occasions.
Alas, Embiid has had some monster games on the court. No matter what side of the argument you are on about some of the antics he has shared and debates about the officiating, Embiid has had some truly dominant stretches against the Knicks.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Joel Embiid & Philadelphia 76ers Updates
Unfortunately for the 76ers, those stretches have not come when the team has needed him the most. In the first three quarters, he has performed at an MVP level, but when it gets to crunch time, he is nowhere to be found.
A troubling trend for Philadelphia against New York has been their inability to close out games. They led by double-digits in all four games, yet are heading back on the road for Game 5 facing elimination down 3-1.
A big reason for that has been Embiid disappearing at the end of games. Some credit certainly should be given to the Knicks for wearing him down throughout the game, as the series has been very physical and draining and he has been erased from the mix in the fourth quarters.
On Sunday afternoon in Game 4, Embiid played the entire fourth quarter. He went 0-for-5 from the field and 1-for-2 from the foul line with only one rebound and one assist. The Knicks took a chance using OG Anunoby on him as the primary defender, which Precious Achiuwa mixed in, and the results were excellent for them.
Embiid not being able to make an impact in any fashion late in games has been a troubling trend. In the fourth quarter of the series to this point, he has grabbed two rebounds. On the flip side, New York has several players crashing the boards with aggressiveness down to the final whistle.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Joel Embiid & Philadelphia 76ers Updates
Had he been able to secure a defensive rebound in Game 2, this series would be different. Isaiah Hartenstein outrebounded four 76ers for an offensive rebound down the stretch in Game 2 which led to Donte DiVincenzo’s dagger 3-pointer.
Capable of scoring from every level of the court offensively, Embiid has gotten nothing going in crunch time. In four fourth quarters, he has shot 3-for-18 to this point, leaving a lot to be desired for the 76ers.
Late in games is when the best players are expected to step up and perform for their teams. That has not been the case for Embiid, who has come up woefully short when the team needs him most in crunch time. His late-game disappearing acts are as big of a reason the 76ers will be facing elimination on Tuesday night as anything.
Want the latest NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
Interested in reading the latest storylines and analysis in the NFL? Check out our partner NFL Analysis Network.
