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Joel Embiid Reacts to Ridiculous Shot Made in Sixers’ Win vs. Pistons

Joel Embiid put a ridiculous play on display in the Philadelphia 76ers' victory over the Pistons.
Justin Grasso|
Apr 9, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives
Apr 9, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives | Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

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Philadelphia 76ersDetroit Pistons

On Sunday, Joel Embiid got the night off against the San Antonio Spurs. After making an appearance in the Philadelphia 76ers’ first three games of last week’s four-game slate, the big man got the night off to manage his meniscus injury.

When the Sixers returned to the court on Tuesday night to face the Detroit Pistons, Embiid was cleared to return to action for his fourth game back.

Last Tuesday, Embiid was rusty. This Tuesday, the big man put together one of his signature MVP performances. Although Embiid is still shaking off some rust at this point, he still managed to score nearly 40 points in 35 minutes of action.

Tuesday’s game was a double-double performance, as he came down with 11 rebounds. Embiid nearly notched a triple-double as he dished out eight assists along with his 37 points and 11 rebounds.

Overall, Embiid’s stat line was impressive against a struggling Pistons team, but the MVP’s one play in the third quarter had the Wells Fargo Center buzzer, as Embiid made a circus shot en route to Philly’s win over Detroit.

After the game, Embiid explained his thoughts on the play.

“I thought I got fouled. The play before they called — I didn’t think it was a foul and I thought it was pretty soft — so I was like well if we’re going to give that call then I’m going to do the same thing,” Embiid said. “I thought I beat him to the spot and I thought it was going to be a blocking foul too. That’s why I threw the ball. But these guys know that I work on those shots. Those awkward shots where I’m always throwing the ball all over the place. It finally paid off.”

The Sixers carved out a 120-104 win against the Pistons on Tuesday, which allowed them to improve their record to 45-35.

The victory helped ensure the Sixers could not be eliminated from locking up a playoff spot without having to go through the NBA Play-In Tournament as early as Tuesday night. While the chances of snagging the sixth seed are still there, the Sixers need a lot to go right over the next few days.

They took care of business on Tuesday. Now, the Sixers look ahead to Friday night, as they are set to take on the Orlando Magic.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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