Section 215
Fansided

Philadelphia 76ers: City of Toronto continues to haunt Joel Embiid

By Dan Parzych

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 22: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers protests a call during the fourth quarter of a game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Wells Fargo Center on November 22, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Cameron Pollack/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 22: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers protests a call during the fourth quarter of a game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Wells Fargo Center on November 22, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Cameron Pollack/Getty Images) /
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Joel Embiid failed to score a single point for the Philadelphia 76ers during Monday’s 101-96 loss to the Toronto Raptors.

Even though Kawhi Leonard is no longer part of the team, the Philadelphia 76ers had a little bit of revenge on their minds for Monday’s contest on the road against the Toronto Raptors to help feel better over what took place last May.

To this day, it’s still incredible to think about how many bounces Leonard’s game-winning shot took in Game 7 of the semifinals before sinking in, and one can only imagine how different the rest of the playoffs would have been if the Sixers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

But unfortunately, living in the past doesn’t accomplish anything, and the best approach for Philadelphia is to make sure they end up in the perfect position down the road to make a serious run at the NBA Finals.

As for Monday’s game in Toronto, well let’s just say this ended in heartbreaking fashion once again for Philadelphia, and while there were plenty of surprise factors that played into the outcome of the contest, Joel Embiid being scoreless ranks near the top of the list.

Not to bring back bad memories for Sixers fans, but everyone remembers well the emotions on display by Embiid after coming up short in that crazy Game 7 since just about every fan in the City of Brotherly Love felt the same way.

When healthy, Embiid has proven to be one of the most dominant centers in the NBA, and his statistics from over the years will certainly back this claim up.

So while it was great to see Embiid come up big on defense in the loss to the Raptors by recording 13 rebounds, the fact that he finished with zero points after going 0-for-11 from the field should be viewed as a major concern.

Maybe it was the thought of being back in Toronto after the results of last spring that brought extra nerves to the table. Or better yet, maybe the Raptors’ defense is just too much for the big man to handle.

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Whatever the reason behind Embiid’s struggles from Monday, it’s clear the city of Toronto has not been a great place for the Sixers star to play over his last few meetings with the Raptors. And if these issues aren’t addressed by the spring, Philadelphia could be in serious trouble come playoff time.