Joel Embiid, Sixers react to miraculous game-winner to beat Raptors

TORONTO–The Philadelphia 76ers had themselves a rough start on Wednesday night in Game 3 on the road. They were committing turnovers left and right, they couldn’t keep the Toronto Raptors off the offensive glass, and they found themselves trailing it by 17.

The Sixers then kept chipping away and chipping away and with a chance to win the game in overtime, they put the ball in the hands of Joel Embiid.

The big fella then knocked down a miraculous fallaway triple with 0.8 seconds left to lift the Sixers to a 104-101 win in Game 3 and a 3-0 series lead. Embiid finished with 33 points and 13 rebounds on the night.

Joel Embiid

“That’s one of my favorite spots. I just missed from right there to end the game (regulation). So I just felt, great play call, Tobias (Harris) set an amazing screen, Danny (Green) had a great pass, all I had to do really was to finish it. I’m glad I did.”

Tyrese Maxey

“MVP? That’s it. That’s all I got.”

“I knew the ball was going to him and when he caught it? I don’t know. I have nothing to say. That was crazy. Joel is Joel.”

Tobias Harris jokingly took credit for the shot

Maxey: “Tobias set a screen. When we got in the locker room, Tobias said ‘Joel, that was a great shot, but that screen that I set? That was a big-time screen’. Big time execution, big time play call by coach Doc, and big time shot by the MVP.”

Embiid: “That was his screen. He got me so wide-open, so yeah. That was the reason why I made the shot, really.”

Harris: “Number one for sure because I don’t set too many. Number one for sure.”

James Harden

“That’s the MVP of the league right there. I couldn’t help, but we just rallied and we found a way to win. That’s what the playoffs is about. I kept talking about it in the regular season, it might not be the prettiest game, but we found ways. Defensively, I thought we were really good down the stretch, Tobias had some really good defensive plays. We limited them to one shot, we gang rebound, and we gave ourselves a chance to win on the road. That’s all we can ask for.”

Tobias Harris

“I was so hyped. Heat of the moment in the game, the type of shot it was too. Real quick, turnaround, cash. He shoots some of those 3s in a game, they’re not what many basketball people consider the greatest shot, but they always go in, so for him, that’s a high percentage shot, really. Especially, on that wing. We got the ball to our best player and somebody who makes plays, makes shots, and I think the type of game he was having from the start, first half to the second half, is just a perfect ending to that type of game. For real.”

Doc Rivers

“That was a helluva win. We didn’t play great, obviously. They had 13 more shots than us, the turnovers, the sloppy turnovers, the offensive rebounds, even the execution down the stretch before overtime was sloppy. The last play, they ran it right. Still need Joel to make a fadeaway jump shot. It was really supposed to be deeper, a 2, but he felt like he could get out there. Good win for us. We’ll take it.”

Embiid explains the play

“We worked on it. We’ve run it in the past if you remember the turnover that I had against Minnesota when I didn’t pass the ball when I was double-teamed, that was the same play call that we just ran. So, I’m glad it worked out this time.

You had Tyrese coming over the top and going to the rim for the lob. You had Danny flaring and obviously, Tobias setting the screen for me, and if I wasn’t open, the last result was Tobias popping out after the screen and try to make the shot.”

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