It’s all fun and games until you lose a playoff game.
Joel Embiid still hasn’t been cleared to play since he suffered a concussion and orbital fracture March 28. That means the All-Star big man only could watch Monday night as the Miami Heat defeated his Philadelphia 76ers 113-103, evening their first-round NBA playoff series at 1-1.
Shortly after Philly’s loss, Embiid’s frustrations boiled over — in the form of an Instagram story.
Embiid is getting antsy on the sidelines. pic.twitter.com/02TMVr8qzp
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 17, 2018
“F***ing sick and tired of being babied,” Embiid wrote.
Doesn’t get much clearer than that.
In fact, Embiid posted his message so soon after the game that Sixers head coach Brett Brown fielded a question about it in his post-game press conference.
“He just wants to play basketball. He wants to be with his team. He wants to play in front of the fans, and he wants to see this through,” Brown said, via ESPN.com. “And when he’s not able to do that, he gets frustrated, and we respect his frustration. It’s born out of competitiveness, and it’s born out of him wanting to be with his team.”
While there’s no official timetable for Embiid’s return, Philly hopes to get him back at some point this series, possibly for either Game 3 or Game 4 in Miami.
The 24-year-old explained the frustration behind his Instagram post to ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelburne late Monday night.
“I promised the city the playoffs and I’m not on the court and I may not be on Thursday either,” Embiid said. “I wish more than anything that I was out there. I just want the green light to play.”
It looks like Embiid will have to trust the process for a bit longer, though.
