Joel Embiid Takes Inspiration From Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook After Sixers Exit

The Celtics featured their usual post-Kyrie balanced scoring, with six players getting 13-25 points. It was a gut-punch for every Sixers fan who watched Jayson Tatum torch the Sixers while Markelle Fultz rode the bench.

The Celtics and Cavaliers will meet in the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight year, but both teams have undergone near-complete overhauls since the Cavaliers eliminated Boston in five games last year. “He’s an unbelievable passer and athlete”, he said of Simmons, who played one season of college hoops at Louisiana State University before being taken with the first pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by Philadelphia. But by pairing Embiid with 2016 No. 1 pick Ben Simmons, Philadelphia found a young one-two punch as intimidating as any in the National Basketball Association.

“It just takes time, shooting the ball”, Simmons said. “We have potential, we can go as far as they’ll take us”.

Boston had led by as many as 12 in the second half, but here were the defiant Sixers, seemingly poised to send the best-of-seven series back to South Philadelphia.

Boston – which opens the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday – will be massive underdogs against the Cavs, but the Celtics have created enough reason for intrigue.

“I feel like this season was kind of like a success”, Embiid said. When asked about the Sixers’ motto, “Trust The Process”, Walls added: “If your team is up or down, you are there for them, win or lose”.

Joel Embiid, who made the All-Star Game in 2018 and will likely be a member of an All-NBA squad, sat out two seasons before almost winning Rookie of the Year. He even became the youngest player to record a triple-double. “It takes more than one guy”. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to play a little better. “It’s a young team”.

It’s tough to walk away from this series – as good a five-game series as one could draw up – and not yearn for more. “Give it time and they’ll get to the Finals”. The Sixers won’t be hitting any panic buttons, but they have to hope Fultz comes back to live up to the billing of the top pick next season (and no, Fultz won’t be considered a rookie next year, although he will be playing his first full season if all goes according to plan).

“It’s pretty good, really”. “Simmons and Embiid, they’re like Magic [Johnson] and Kareem [Abdul-Jabaar]”.

Like Boston, Philadelphia has drawn attention with its postseason run. I think Danny (Ainge) and Brad (Stevens) are fantastic. This was somewhat true in the first series, but in the second there was no doubt.