Joel Embiid Explains Major Mistake in 76ers’ Loss vs Raptors

Joel Embiid discusses his late-game turnover against the Raptors.

Feb 11, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives against Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) in the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia 76ers had a chance to take a late-game lead against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. Trailing by two points, the Sixers had the ball in Tyrese Maxey’s hands, relying on the one-time All-Star to make the right read to tie the game up or put his team ahead.

Maxey had two defenders swarming him as he entered the paint. The seven-time All-Star center Joel Embiid was standing behind the three-point line without a defender in sight.

The Sixers’ guard kicked the ball back to Embiid, who typically wouldn’t shy away from an opportunity to launch a catch-and-shoot three.

However, the big man didn’t set himself up for the shot. Instead, Embiid dribbled up to the free throw line, where he lost control of the ball. The Raptors took advantage of the hiccup and went into transition. That led to intentional fouling and allowed Toronto to gain a three-point lead before the Sixers had another unsuccessful offensive sequence.

EMBIID WITH A CRUCIAL TURNOVER 😭

Raptors steal the W in Philly 👀 pic.twitter.com/rZvbu8E8Ys

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 12, 2025

"A tough one," Embiid told reporters after the game.

"Wide open. I gotta shoot the one. With how the game was going, I thought I could just step through and shoot the mid-range. Looking back, I probably should have taken the wide-open shot and made it. A tough one. I should’ve taken the easy one."

Embiid has made his fair share of clutch shots throughout his career—even against the Raptors—but the big man dropped the ball in Tuesday night’s matchup. While a mid-February game typically doesn’t hold a ton of weight, the Sixers certainly don’t have much room for mistakes these days.

Feb 11, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts against the Toronto Raptors in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

With a 106-103 loss against Toronto, the Sixers are 20-33 on the year. They are sitting 11th in the Eastern Conference, trailing the 22-32 Chicago Bulls. The Brooklyn Nets are on the Sixers’ heels, just one game behind.

On Wednesday, the Sixers are back on the court to take on Brooklyn. Since it’s night two of a back-to-back set, Embiid is unlikely to see the floor.

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