A lot of things went very wrong for the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center in their Game 4 matchup against the New York Knicks. Not only did they lose a pivotal home game of the series, placing themselves on the brink of yet another early playoff elimination, but they also managed to lose their crowd at their own home arena. New York fans’ voices reverberated through Philly’s home arena as Joel Embiid and Co. could only see the series slipping from their hands. Veteran NBA analyst Skip Bayless recently discussed how the 76ers lost their audience during the game in a rare instance of holding Joel Embiid accountable for his underwhelming fourth-quarter performance.
The Game 4 matchup between the Knicks and the Sixers was a close contest. But Philadelphia’s terrible showing in the fourth quarter allowed New York to walk away with a crucial road game victory and potentially the series. Bayless pointed out during his monologue on UNDISPUTED earlier today, that all the Knicks had to do is grab the offensive rebounds of their own missed shots to secure the 5-point victory. The 76ers completely checked out of scoring in the last quarter, following the example of their decorated centerpiece.
“I can’t support this because this was just flat-out pathetic. I’m thinking, ‘Joel…just try a little bit. You’re 7ft 1, you’re just towering over these little guys around you. Just reach out and get the basketball!‘ No, he wouldn’t try very hard,” a disappointed Skip Bayless told his FS1 crew. “He scored one total point in the fourth quarter guarded by Anunoby. Are you kidding me!” he added.
The 72-year-old also pointed out that the Knicks won the game despite going 6-for-21 in the fourth quarter, simply because Joel Embiid wouldn’t show up to work. The two-time Scoring Champion’s 0-for-5 performance from the floor and 0-for-2 shooting from three in the fourth quarter is simply inexcusable. The reigning MVP has averaged 30+ points in the last three regular seasons, but he could only score a single point in the 12 minutes he played in the fourth quarter, that too from a free throw.
Bayless seemed further enraged by the fact that both Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks’ two big men, were unavailable to guard Embiid in the last 12 minutes. Hartenstein had gotten into foul trouble and Robinson missed the contest with a sprained ankle. But the 30-year-old 76ers superstar still faded away in the last minutes of the game, further affirming his infamous reputation in the postseason.
Joel Embiid’s postseason has been a nightmare so far
Embiid couldn’t have asked for a worse postseason than what he has experienced so far. In Game 3, the seven-time All-Star made a contentious move that labeled him a ‘dirty player’ overnight. Frustrated with a no-call from the referees, Embiid grabbed Mitchell Robinson by the leg while he was down on the floor and pulled the Knicks star toward him. This move could have proven to be very dangerous for the Knicks, and earned Embiid a Flagrant 1. Robinson had to sit out with a sprained ankle after Embiid’s little stunt, but it is uncertain what exactly caused the injury.
Knicks fans soon started trolling Embiid for being ‘a dirty player’, with many pointing out that the veteran center actually has more flagrant fouls than Draymond Green in 400 less games. Instead of rectifying his methods, Embiid doubled down to reaffirm his new-found reputation as a ‘dirty player’ in Game 4, by seemingly stomping on Knicks’ Josh Hart intentionally near the baseline. This further enraged fans, who now labeled him the dirtiest player in the league.
It will be an uphill battle for Philly to come back in the series as the matchup moves to Madison Square Garden. Another early exit in the postseason will only cement Embiid’s reputation as a postseason bust, pushing him farther away from his Championship hopes.
