76ers' Joel Embiid gives harsh assessment of Raptors: 'They don’t care about winning'
Embiid's blunt assessment came after the 76ers' victory Monday night against the Raptors
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Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has starred for the team since he made his debut during the 2016-17 season and put together back-to-back MVP-caliber seasons.
Monday’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors was more of the same from Embiid. He scored 28 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out four assists and had two steals in the 104-101 overtime victory. The Raptors only had three players in double figures in scoring.
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Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid, left, and James Harden watch a free-throw attempt during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Toronto Raptors, Monday, Dec. 19, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
After the game, Embiid ripped the state of the current Toronto team and made an assessment about their desire to win ball games while praising teammate De’Anthony Melton.
"We’re always on him, me especially," Embiid said of Melton, via Clutch Points. "Everybody really, because I know that as long as they keep shooting, whether it’s him Tobias [Harris], P.J. [Tucker], James [Harden], guys coming off the bench. As long as they keep shooting — it doesn’t matter if I make it or not — it makes my job easier.
Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid, center, goes up for a dunk against Toronto Raptors' Scottie Barnes, left, and O.G. Anunoby during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 19, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
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"But when you play a team like Toronto, they don’t really care. It seems like, most of the time, they don’t care about winning. They just want to shut down the other star players. But when you play that, you got to be ready all night. You got to stay alert and have the confidence of just keep shooting it and hope that you make them when they come, and that’s what he did tonight."
Philadelphia moved to 17-12 with the victory and Toronto fell to 13-18.
Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid, right, and De'Anthony Melton celebrate after an NBA basketball game against the Toronto Raptors, Monday, Dec. 19, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
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Embiid is leading the league this season with a 33-point-per-game average. He also averages 9.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists.