Joel Embiid Tells Drake He's Coming for a Sweep

Toronto-based rapper Drake is never hard to find when the Toronto Raptors are playing at the Scotiabank Arena. As the platinum-selling artist is typically spotted courtside around the Raptors' bench, you can often see him being a passionate fan, who tends to trash talk opposing players.

On Wednesday night for Game 3 of the first round, Drake's target was Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid.

As Sixers forward Tobias Harris revealed, Drake had a lot to say about Embiid throughout the game. Considering the Sixers trailed by as much as 17 points in the first half as they turned the ball over 15 times, Drake likely felt good about his team's chances of finally getting a win in on the Sixers.

But Joel Embiid silenced that noise in the second half and beyond. After scoring just five points in 18 minutes during the first half, Embiid turned his game up a few notches in the second half as he scored 18 points in 12 minutes in the third quarter.

His 23-point burst in the second half helped the Sixers nearly complete the comeback as they tied the game up at 95 and forced overtime. Although the game nearly went into double-overtime, Joel Embiid's monster shot from beyond the arc in the final seconds left the Raptors with nothing but a desperate last shot.

After failing to execute, the Raptors took on another loss. Joel Embiid, who willed his team to a third-straight victory, had words for his biggest doubter following the matchup on Wednesday night.

Embiid's Plan

"I'm coming for the sweep too," said Embiid as he passed by Drake on his way back to the visitor's locker room.

With another win in the books, the Sixers could wrap up their series against the Raptors as early as Saturday afternoon. As Game 4 is set to tip-off for the final matchup in Toronto until Game 6, the Sixers could realistically advance to the next round without playing in any of the final three matchups.

And Embiid let Drake know that's his plan. "He’s always talking,” Embiid told reporters after his exchange with the Raptors superfan. "I had to let him know. Obviously, we’re trying to get Game 4, go for the sweep."

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.