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Tim BontempsESPN
MIAMI — Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel EmbiidBe congratulated Nikola JokicThe NBA Most Valuable Player award was won for the second consecutive season. He added Tuesday night that there was no “right or wrong” answer from any of the deserving candidates.
Embiid stated that he will only be focusing on “the bigger picture” and winning a championship.
When asked if he was surprised to hear that ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday, “No,” Embiid replied. “This is something I knew weeks ago, probably even two weeks before the season ended. After those games against Denver and Milwaukee and when it was over, and when it was over, this is what I know.” [ESPN did its]straw poll or what? I knew it wasn’t going to happen.
Nikola deserves our sincere congratulations. He earned it. He had an extraordinary season. There’s no right and wrong. There were many options. It could have been any way. Giannis (Antetokounmpo), Devin Booker, being the best team in league. It’s all about you guys deciding what narrative fits your story as far as who wins.
Embiid was one the three finalists in the award for the second consecutive year after putting up arguably his greatest season ever — a record 30.6 points per games, 11.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists over a career-high 68 matches.
Embiid admitted that he wasn’t mad at not being awarded MVP. (The NBA is expected make a formal announcement about the winner this week). “That’s 2 years consecutively that I have put myself in that situation. It didn’t happen. It almost seems like it is anything at this point. Whatever happens, it happens.
“Last Year, I campaigned for it. This year, I answered the questions. In the years to come, it will be almost like… I said, I wonder what I can do to win it. To me, it seems like it’s just whatever. It was all about focusing. Not that I didn’t focus on the larger picture, but it’s time to put my whole energy into the bigger picture.
Embiid also reacted to a comment by Bill Simmons from The Ringer. He said, on a podcast last year “F-5” Jalen Green“When Green was discussing Green’s candidacy to the All-Rookie Team. While playing for the league-worst team. Houston Rockets. (Simmons later tweeted outAn explanation of his position.
The media votes for the NBA awards.
“What if JalenGreen was in a position earn a supermax or I don’t know, an All-Star appearance? You got someone sounding similar to that, and he’s a lot more powerful,” Embiid stated.[Simmons]You can influence many other media members
“I don’t believe it’s fair. It is not okay. That’s all I have to say about these awards.
Embiid’s hopes for winning a championship this season were crushed Tuesday night when the Sixers lost to their rivals. Miami Heat120-85 in game 5 to fall in a series hole of 3-2. They are just one loss away of being swept in the second round for the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons.
The 76ers looked pathetic from the start, and it was widely agreed that postgame. Miami took an early lead, and they never looked back.
Doc Rivers, the 76ers’ coach, stated that “they just were so much happier, more physically, and took us outof stuff.” “There was a lot of disappointment tonight from everyone.”
Additional James Harden“I believe that we weren’t engaging defensively, which slowed down the offense. We gotta be engaged. You have to be committed. It’s not enough to just play hard in the second round of playoffs. You have to work hard. You have to be able think possession by possession. We just didn’t have enough thinking possessions.”
Embiid spent a prolonged period on the ground during the second quarter after he was smacked in his right side of the face, the same one that he had fractured in Game 6 in Toronto. Dewayne DedmonHit the ball after Embiid gathered a rebound, and it returned to his face.
Fortunately, Embiid got up eventually and was examined by team physicians. He didn’t leave the game.
Embiid replied, “I don’t think so”, when asked if he was concerned that he might make his injury worse by trying to play through it. “Obviously, I’m not an expert. I listen to the doctors. It’s not my opinion.
It’s all about pain tolerance. This is a win-lose situation. I will probably be called soft if you don’t want to play. If I play and I play poorly, I’ll probably have to come up with some stuff that is just not good enough. It’s all about not getting too high or too low. Just going out there and trying to dig as deep as possible and doing what I can.
Now, he and his team must win Game 6 at home against the 76ers.
“I’m pretty confident,” Embiid declared.
“We lost 2-0,” [then]It was tied up. We have it in ourselves. We have more [to give]I’m not one of them. Even those two wins. I didn’t feel like I played well. I felt that my presence on court was too much, especially defensively. Offensively, however, I haven’t been aggressive. Although I don’t want to force the issue, I let it come to me. They won’t let me win the game, as you can see.
“So, I think that just going back to film and finding ways that really, really are impactful and trying to be, try and get back to that dominant selves that I can be.”